Life, Home, Work, Cocktails, Cooking and a Blog

Work is busy. Life is busy. Blog is neglected. Freelance writing requires lots of time juggling/multi-tasking prowess… I. IS. TIRED.

But let’s attempt a real update, shall we?

In life updates, I stupidly made the decision to go back to spinning and irish dancing at the same time. This means my body has been sore for the entirety of a month. Normally, the pain would ease off after one or two classes of either, but since I’m doing both, and  averaging two spins and two dance classes per week, my body is basically angry at me ALL THE TIME. The sense of accomplishment feels great, the pain..not so much. But regardless, I’m really excited that I’ve started back with irish dancing in particular and actually stuck with it. It’s easy to do it once or twice and then be too tired after work, have a headache, etc. so the fact that I’m being consistent is pretty awesome. It also helps that I’ve started over from the beginning. It’s very no pressure. I know what I’m doing and by the time it gets really hard I’ll be determined to keep going.

In other news, we painted one wall of our kitchen with chalkboard paint (see above photo) so we could start listing our weekly meals on the wall. Beyond it being kind of ridiculous (but cute and charming!) it helps us (okay, me) stay on track with cooking. If I have a plan I am good to go. If I get home after work (and after dance class) with no plan for dinner it’s pretty much guaranteed that take out is happening, and that gets old real fast.  So the board is helping. And I like crossing things off lists so it’s just all around good fun for my planner brain!

Also, I mad a new cocktail. With gin! I’m usually a vodka girl but I’m branching out like a real grown up. My first gin at home creation – a lavender honey cocktail. I’ll post the recipe once I get it just right. But basically it’s gin, fresh lemon juice, and a honey lavender syrup. I mix honey, water, lavender, and lavender bitters together and let it sit for a half hour and then use it as a syrup basically to add to the gin and the lemon.

YUMMMMM

Topped off with a sprig of lavender and you have this gorgeous little cocktail:

so pretty – almost too pretty to drink…ALMOST.

The weather (except for the rain today) has been pretty exquisite here and we’ve been eating outside almost every night enjoying dinner and cocktails. It’s a little piece of heaven in the midst of all the chaos of this city. And while our rent check keeps us at home instead of going out most nights, I gotta say, I can’t complain that much. Home is pretty fucking awesome.

Home is also soon to be more awesome as we are painting the back bedroom this weekend! My mom will be visiting in two weeks and the goal is to get the room nice enough for someone besides the cats to actually sleep in it. So this Saturday will be all about painting.

Sunday meanwhile will be all about cooking – hopefully a new roast! I’ve been struck by a strange desire to roast a duck but that might prove to be too expensive. But expect a roast update soon! Perhaps it’s time to take on a roast chicken…the most intimidating of roasts for me as I have never tasted one better than my father’s. And I’m not glorifying his memory here. It was just THAT FUCKING GOOD. UGH. More evidence that I should have been paying attention!

Finally, in other VERY important news – today is apparently National Moscato Day! Made up no doubt by some random alcoholic! In honor of that alcoholic I give you my favorite moscato – La Caudrina Moscato d’Asti. It’s perfection in a glass. It’s usually available for anywhere between $17 – $20 a bottle – but bear in mind that’s half a bottle. Delish.

So there you have it – a lengthy update that could have been various blogs over the past two weeks if I actually had the ability to multi-task. Blogger of the Year – CLEARLY.

The Topic is NEGLECT – I’m Sorry Blog, Truly Sorry

My poor neglected little blog. I have no excuses. I’m just a bad blog parent. Totally neglectful because I’m just so “busy”. Shame. On. Me.

So what’s been going on? Well I have another article up on My French life that you can find HERE. This has been my favorite assignment to date. Here’s hoping there are more French product launches that involve five course sit down meals…a girl can dream.

Also, VERY IMPORTANT – we’re looking for more New York Francophile writers for My French Life! If you’re interested please leave a comment or send me a message on twitter and I will get back to you asap with details on how to start writing for My French Life. If you’re not in NYC but are a Francophile in another city and interested in writing for them, you can also still apply! Just let me know where you’re from and I will put you in touch with the right person.

In other news that I should have already shared if I were a good blogger, we cooked up a storm for Easter Sunday and it was DELICIOUS. I came up with a pretty kick ass bruschetta for the dinner and I have since made it for my dear friend’s birthday party at our place this past weekend, so I will post the recipe here soon. Let’s just say for now that garlic butter makes everything taste better. ALWAYS.

On the recipe front – I’m looking for a kick ass macaroni salad recipe as well as a super amazing potato salad recipe. If you have favorites please send them my way!

Also important news – I am buying a roasting pan this weekend! Let the Sunday roasts begin! Now all I need to do is learn how to make a roast – up to my own personal standards which are very HIGH. It’s times like these that I wish I’d paid more attention to what my father was doing in the kitchen. His roast beef and prime rib are to this day the best I’ve ever had. And that’s not love for my father talking. That’s just plain and simple fact. They were AMAZING. And now I am kicking myself for not taking notes. Oh well, hopefully I will find a base guide for how to make roasts in line with what I remember and then tweak it till I get it right. We might have to start having friends over for dinner on a weekly basis so I can keep experimenting.

In other news, I will be going to Niagara on the Lake for my cousin’s wedding at the end of May and am really looking forward to it. I’m also going to be writing an article about Niagara on the Lake and all the fun things to see and do there so that should make the trip all the more interesting. Hopefully I’ll fit some rest and relaxation in there somewhere. Although, what’s more relaxing than a wine tour – right?

So here’s to being a better blogger in the midst of all this chaos…at least I’m not bored I guess.

Lazy Blogging and a Fire Pit

fire pit!

I have been a very bad blogger. Not only have I not posted in general but I seem to have failed at Friday Favorites and Music Monday this past week. What is wrong with me?

And I have things to report – we’ve made new recipes at home worth writing up. I even made olive oil cake  - look how pretty it turned out:

SO pretty but…alas…

Pretty of course until it totally fell. Yup, caved in in the middle. It was an issue with baking soda or powder or something. It was still VERY tasty but sadly regardless of how good it looked when this photo was taken, it was fucking with me. And now I have to make it again to redeem myself. It will NOT beat me.

So there’s that, but for whatever reason I seem to be losing blogging motivation. So instead I’m gonna get back into gear here with a little update on the minutiae and perhaps that will kick the blogging muscle back into full gear.

We got our fire pit and in case anyone was wondering – this is what a happy zen man looks like when he there he not only has a backyard in Brooklyn but a fire pit in which to build a fire:

LOVE IT

Sadly it’s been quite cold and snowy so there have been very few nights like the above but there will be more – many many more. There may even be a roasting of a pig on there (a small pig…but still – yummmmmm).

In other news in this past week we’ve tackled a few new recipes – Parisian chicken (why is it Parisian – I HAVE NO IDEA), homemade meatballs, and blackberry muffins. Blackberry muffins were a bit of a disaster but the meatballs and chicken were excellent and will  be documented here later. We also made official plans to go to my cousin’s wedding in May so there will be a long beautiful weekend at Niagara on the Lake coming up and then my sister and brother in law are coming to visit in August the same time a very, very dear friend from France is coming. It is going to be a FULL house and I am beyond excited.

So all good things. There are of course negative things in the mix, stressful things, and general NYC woes but let’s not get into those. Let’s attempt to remain positive and focus on the bigger picture – I have a backyard in Brooklyn where I can build a fire. Everything else will be okay.

Sea Bass Soaked in Butter w/Ratatouille and Haricots Verts – Your Typical Saturday in Brooklyn

Photo from usnews.com

The other weekend, one in which Erik and I were actually off at the same time (shocking) we decided to commit to cooking something new. A whole dinner of new things in fact. Because, why not? It seems that now that there are two of us in the kitchen cooking we might actually be able to produce some pretty stellar meals. And I have to say, this first attempt, was pretty fucking delicious.

I was aiming for a healthy yet delicious meal so we decided to make sea bass, ratatouille with goat cheese, and haricots verts with pine nuts and red peppers. Sounds good no? AND healthy! Well it was…until Erik did this to the fish (thank you Erik):

That’s butter. All of it. OMG.

He smothered it – in butter (and herbs). Best. Idea. Ever. And no longer healthy. Woo hoo!

I meanwhile manned the veggies for the evening and kept them healthy according to plan. First the haricots verts:

haricots verts prep – simple and easy

Finished haricots verts with pine nuts and red peppers

This dish was surprisingly delicious and a really great compliment to the fish in all its buttery goodness.

Then of course there was the ratatouille in all its glory:

ratatouille prep!

all those veggies make for the most amazing smell in the kitchen.

This dish was really easy to make and extremely tasty. Adding the crumbled goat cheese on top when plated gave it the extra kick to make it a bit more exciting than stewed veggies, but even on its own it would be delish.

And of course, there’s the finished dinner. I didn’t take a picture of the table in all its glory but here is my plate of glorious food:

Almost everything on that plate is a vegetable! And then there’s the butter soaked fish but whatever…

We were extremely pleased with how this meal turned out and I am quite keen to make it all again. Pairing fish with ratatouille is a sure fire way to keep things healthy AND tasty so now all I have to do is attempt to curb Erik’s fish to butter ratio and it might actually be able to live among our healthier meal options.

If you’re interested here are the recipes for the side dishes.

Sauteed Haricots Verts with Red Peppers and Pine Nuts

• 1 1/2 pounds haricots verts (or other slender green beans), trimmed

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium-size red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice (2 cups)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Cook haricots verts in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool quickly and drain again.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers; sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add butter to same skillet; melt. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add haricots verts. Sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes. Mix in nuts; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl.

Ratatouille with Goat Cheese

1. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2. 1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
3. 5 large garlic cloves, minced
4. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5. 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
6. 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
7. 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
9. 2 pounds tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
10. 1 cup loosely packed shredded basil leaves
11. 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
12. 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
13. 1/2 cup crumbled aged goat cheese

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the eggplant and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add one-third of the garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a plate.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the casserole along with the zucchini and yellow squash and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add another one-third of the garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables to the eggplant.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the casserole, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, two-thirds of the basil and the reserved vegetables and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes have broken down and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil along with the lemon zest and juice. Transfer to bowls and sprinkle with the goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

If you want the recipe for the fish it’s simple  - slather butter on fish, sear in pan. Ta da!

More big dinners like this to come FOR SURE. Erik is focused on mastering a fried chicken dinner (God help me and the workouts that will follow) while I am still very much focused on mastering a roast. Between the two of us there should be some pretty fun and delicious dinner parties on the horizon!

A New Year, A New Beginning, and of course, More Blogging

Happy place

Words cannot convey how happy I am to welcome the start of 2013. As you may have read on this little blog, 2012 pretty much kicked my ass. To be fair, good things came from it – I got an amazing new job which I am grateful for every day, I started cooking (a shock to myself and all who know me), my little shih tzu Rocky came back home and joined our little zoo in Brooklyn, and although it was via fairly traumatic circumstances I got a kick ass 2 bedroom garden apartment in Brooklyn Heights that has now spoiled me for life.

The worst part of 2012 was separating from my husband in August and the trauma that followed for the next five months. But I’m happy to report that the New Year is the start of a new beginning for us and he is back home and we are on a solid road of reconciliation. There’s a lot of work to be done but we’re recommitted to making it work and I couldn’t be happier about it. When we said for better or worse we meant it, and now that we’ve been through the worst it’s time to aim for the best – so 2013 best be listening! It’s time for a year of good and positive changes. No negative people or energy wanted or allowed.

In regards to resolutions, I would say mine are more goal oriented than resolution by definition, and fairly simple all things considered. Here they are:

1. To keep writing for My French Life and look into more writing opportunities about France, travel, etc. I really am happiest when I’m writing about France, cultural relations with America, travel, and what not, so if I can continue to do that and do it more, I think only good things can come from it.

2.  To recommit to the relationships in my life. Obviously this applies to my marriage but also some very dear friendships that I have not given enough attention to. Distance is a difficult thing but it’s no excuse to not check in with people beyond liking their status on Facebook. I need to make more of an effort to call people and catch up. More importantly I need to make more of an effort to see the people who live here in New York that I somehow never see. There’s really no excuse, and I need to recommit to being a better friend here and with those far away. For those nearby, the goal is to make my huge apartment a place to convene for drinks, dinner, general hanging out and random parties. We finally have a big enough apartment to have people over, so let the socializing and dinner parties begin. No more hermit bull shit. The time is now.

3. To keep cooking! My amazing sister and brother in law got me Jacques Pepin’s Essential cookbook (SO EXCITED) for Christmas and Erik got me a great cookbook as well so it seems I have plenty of new things to try. I just have to stay motivated! Which I’m very confident I can do – I just need to keep trying new things so I don’t get bored. Also buy new kitchen tools. Shiny new toys always help.

4. To get healthy – blah blah blah. Same old same old goal every year. But this year, it’s time to combine forces. Healthy cooking which I have already mastered (yay!) and working out regularly. I never seem to be able to make these two things happen at the same time. I’m either working out non stop and eating with no limits (for shame) or I’m eating super healthy and avoiding the gym. Viscous and completely useless cycle. It’s time to refocus in this area and get back into tip top shape. I’ve always been a girl who loves my curves in all their glory – but the fitter the better – so time to get some muscle tone back.

5.  To start gardening – now that I’m cooking, and I have a backyard, it only makes sense to start planting some herbs. And learning a new skill is always good. First on my list – basil. My favorite herb EVER. Sadly this will have to wait until Spring so I’m hoping I don’t lose my motivation…

6. To start biking and hiking. Part of my problem with hitting the gym is that it bores me to fucking tears. I hate it. I loathe it. I would rather be doing ANYTHING else. But I do love being active in general, especially if it involves being outside and, more importantly, away from the city. So my goal is to get a bike and start venturing past my comfort zone and eventually venturing past my gym to the point where I’m getting enough exercise with outside activity that I simply don’t have to go to the gym anymore. FOR REAL. I’d also like to start hiking. Upstate New York is so gorgeous, and a simple train ride away, for a nice day’s hike in the woods. This goal will definitely be the hardest in terms of getting off my lazy ass and making it happen but hopefully I can stay focused and get this ball rolling after the winter weather wears off.

7. To manage and get out of credit card debt – this is NOT happening in the span of a year (ha! wouldn’t that be nice?) but little steps can make a big difference. We’ve already consolidated a good chunk of our debt and with a little financial planning we should be able to make a big difference in the next few years. I’m hoping by this time next year to feel a lot less weighed down by all the bills.

8. To read more – seriously – I gotta get down with library town. Ever since I finished my masters I have avoided all things resembling literature. It’s quite pathetic and quite frankly, inexcusable. Amazon is gonna see some serious book purchases from me soon. Please feel free to send any recommendations!

So there you have it. A pretty solid list of realistic goals I should be able to achieve with a little will power and the love and support of my amazing friends and family. I’m not quite sure how I would have gotten through this year without all of my loved ones near and far. There really are no words to do justice to how grateful I am.

And then of course there’s this little blog, which hopefully will remain interesting. There will be recipes so I stay on the cooking track and hopefully – eventually – there will be traveling again. I’m going to commit to getting back to my lyrics of the day because I love them, and perhaps I can come up with some other weekly/daily blog rituals that will keep things interesting around here.

Thanks for sticking with me! Here’s to a wonderful and memorable 2013!

Inner Skinny Bitch Saturday Favorite – Coucous Salad

Yup, I made this.

In my continual effort to avoid living in a world where only comfort food exists, I made the healthiest of all healthy salads on Saturday morning to last me through the weekend and for my lunch at work today. It’s what most people would describe as a couscous salad, but what I would normally recognize as tabouleh a la francaise. The sheer smell of this salad immediately brings me back to summers in France, eating lunch on the patio with my family before contemplating what we would do with our day – a walk in the woods? A trip to the beach? A trip into town for a wander around the shops? Such simple little pleasures.

Now it’s being made in my Brooklyn kitchen, in the midst of crazy New York living, bringing a strange sense of calm with it’s easy preparation and super healthy qualities. Truth be told, the mere smell of this salad coming together takes me to my happy place and my goal is to make this every weekend just to have in the fridge for those meal times when I want something to eat but need it to just be quick but still nutritious and packed full of flavor.

The reality is you can make this with whatever you want, but I try to keep it to pretty traditional mediterranean flavors. These were my ingredients:

1 cup of couscous

3 small persian cucumbers

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

handful of heirloom tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) cut in halves

3-4 green onions (chopped)

bunch of mint (chopped)

mozzarella (a good handful, chopped)

Crumbled feta (a lot – like the whole container – because my inner fat girl is never silent)

1 lemon’s worth of lemon juice

Balsamic vinegar (as little or as much as you like)

This truly is the easiest thing to make. A bit tedious in prep work if you’re like me and your fanciest tool is a knife and a cutting board, but it’s still totally worth it.

For the couscous, use equal parts couscous and warm water and mix together in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.Let it sit for 15 minutes and then run your fingers through it to break it apart and make sure all the water has soaked in.

Then cut all the veggies and herbs to your liking and toss into the bowl with the couscous and mix in. Add cheeses and mix in. Squeeze one lemon’s worth of juice into bowl and mix in. Then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and mix in. I generally do this twice as I like the flavor it adds to it, but ultimately it’s up to you.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, pan sear some scallops in oil and butter and put them on top of the salad. Et voila:

Saturday lunch – couscous salad with scallops. Yummmm

Healthy, easy, fresh, filling, and tasty. Can’t go wrong!

Sole Meuniere – Well…Sort Of

I have a francophile confession to make. I cheated the other night. I made sole menuiere sans a traditional ingredient.

Okay, here’s the big confession – I didn’t use any parsley.

I realize this is deeply shocking and might take some time for the French to get over. But it’s true. I did it. And I think the cooking Gods kinda punished me for it.

It wasn’t really my fault. I’m on a super strict budget this week because I stocked my fridge like a grown up upon return from California. So I got items I knew I could use for various dinners but forgot that some recipes I might want to try required little additions – like parsley. And not to sound too American, for risk of being executed by the French, but parsley is kinda pointless. It doesn’t actually taste like anything…does it? And as far as sole meuniere goes it’s really just a garnish. It’s seemingly just to give the fish a bit of color and pizazz…non? I know, I know. I’m American. I suppose I just can’t possibly understand.

Anyways, I saved myself $4 at the grocery store and compromised my “Frenchness” and made sole meuniere without the parsley (insert gasp).

This was my first time making it and whether it was the French food Gods punishing me for my slight change to the recipe or the simple fact that I had just never made it before, it didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. Flavor wise, it was delicious. Presentation wise, it was an epic fail. And presentation counts my friends. If your food isn’t pleasing to the eye you are much less likely to want to eat it.

But overall, I’d say I did good. I tried a new recipe and it was good enough to eat. Next time I just need to make it pretty enough to eat:

the very basic ingredients. Love the French for their simplicity

Fish covered in flour cooking in butter. Yup…that’s ALL butter

The finished dish. Fish broke while cooking. Le sigh…delicious but not so pretty.

Next time will be better, I hope. Either way, I am definitely enjoying this week’s foray into sauces. They really are simple things of beauty.

Also worth mentioning on the cooking front – there was a big market/festival down the street from me on my return home from California and there was such a super sale that I had to buy this:

PRETTY

I just couldn’t resist. It was so pretty and like 75% off. And since it’s Fall, it’s the perfect time to experiment with soups and more sauces. And now I have a beautiful fun new toy to do that with.

The goal this weekend is to make a soup, perhaps a minestrone. Then the goal is to get my Mom’s recipe and make her Irish stew, which everyone else in my family seems to know how to make but no one seems to be able to give me a recipe for it.

Also, I made banana bread again last night. After making myself dinner. Because apparently that’s what I do now. I cook. For fun.

When did I become this person?! It still shocks me to my core. But I suppose I should just ride the wave and enjoy it.

Classic California

This post is going to basically be nothing but a photo blog of all things food from California. So avert your eyes now if you’re not interested.

As I mentioned previously, going home was extremely therapeutic, so much so that I’m actively trying to figure out when I can move back. Who needs the mean streets of NYC when you can have the calm, relaxed back roads and wineries of northern California? Proof is in the pictures:

Healdsburg farmer’s market – vegetables just don’t come that fresh and colorful here in the city

Mimosas on a terrace in wine country – also known as heaven

well HELLO brunch…

my amazing omelette – post farmer’s market visit

and then we went to a harvest party at J Vineyards! Seriously found my happy place

wine barrels everywhere…ahhhhhh

ultimate setting

and then there was a wedding at a winery

beautiful, gorgeous, wish you were here…

My gorgeous Mom

a few days later there was dinner at Gary Danko’s…but I only took a pic of my cocktail. I devoured the food too fast to photograph it. SO GOOD.

More brunch – this time at La Note – a provencal restaurant in Berkeley. One of my absolute faves. And yes, that tastes even better than it looks.

So there you have it – more or less my trip. Not pictured are countless lovely evenings with my Mom at home, many cocktails, cupcakes from Love at First Bite, much needed coffee from Peet’s, a Jack in the Box run (or two), and the beautiful faces of my amazing friends.

Needless to say, I left my heart in San Francisco and it’s many beautiful surroundings, and I will be back as soon as possible.

Mustard Chicken a la Francaise

Back to Brooklyn and back to cooking.

Last night I took on my Dad’s classic mustard chicken recipe. This was a big deal on many levels. First of all, it’s my dad’s recipe. He was French and a chef so what limited recipes he wrote down are pretty fucking stellar. And if I’m really taking on this cooking thing, I gotta do the man proud and attempt to do some of his dishes. Secondly, it’s chicken which for whatever reason intimidates  me as I’m terrified of undercooking it. And thirdly, it involved a sauce. A very French, very heavy, very easy to fuck up sauce.

But amazingly I didn’t fuck it up. Hooray!

The photo above is the mustard chicken my Mom made for me when I was home so I could see how it was done. It seemed rather simple all things considered so I thought best to make it as soon as possible upon my return so I don’t lose my motivation. Gotta push past that stupid fear! Right? So last night despite being exhausted and despite having to do a mountain of dishes I rallied and gave it a go.

The ingredients – surprisingly basic. Leave it to the French to know how to make something so good with just the essentials.

Making the sauce. Holy shit – I made sauce!

Cooking the chicken in the sauce. Nice golden brown, no?

et voila – the finished dish! Not too shabby…

Look at me making something substantial!

Things I learned from cooking this dish:

1. Cooking chicken takes forever and getting a piece of chicken perfectly cooked is hard. I managed to not undercook it, and some parts of the breast were perfect, while one other part was pretty dry. So it’s tricky. Must practice.

2. Cooking sauce is actually not that hard. And by that I mean if you have a palette and know what something should taste like, it’s just a matter of tasting as you go and adding what you think it needs. Time to experiment more.

3. Adding cognac to a dish is fun…but I’m not fancy enough for the flames yet…perhaps in time.

So mission accomplished. I have finally made something my Dad used to make and it turned out really well for my first try. Hopefully with enough practice it can be one of my auto pilot dishes. Either way, it’s a perfect staple to have on my list of things to make given that fall is coming. Nothing better than a nice thick sauce to warm you up in cold weather.

For now, I’m not publishing the recipe, mainly cause I didn’t write it down. Once I’ve perfected my own version I’ll put it up.

Next big French undertaking – sole meuniere tonight…we shall see. And I’ve got my eyes set on this steak frites recipe straight out of Paris.

Go big or go home right?

And I’m Back…For Now at Least

I am finally back in NYC after a much needed trip home to see my Mom and my amazing friends in California. More posts to come with actual details, but here’s a small summary of the past week or so – the first one my friends is a fucking doozy…

1. In which my life is like a fucking movie – I got arrested at the airport on my way to California for a “weapon” in my bag, that was of course not mine. It belonged to my husband, and was in my bag from the move, and I just didn’t see it before I started packing (I KNOW – lesson fucking learned). Obviously, this is a long story…the short of it. I got arrested and I now have a court date to prove I’m just an innocent little girl and very much NOT a terrorist.  I wish I was kidding, but this is in fact my life right now. Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more stressed out…fun times.

2. After my traumatic travel experience I went straight to wine country in California and thanks to my Mom and amazing friends managed to have a fabulous time. There was brunch, farmer’s markets, a harvest party, wine tastings, and a wedding. Couldn’t have asked for a better welcome home.

3. The wine country festivities and my entire trip back to California with my amazing Mom was so emotionally restorative that I think I might be moving back there soon. No firm plans yet, but NYC is no longer on an indefinite timeline. Quality of life is better in California and it’s time to go home. There’s also free rent in California (God bless my Mom) which would be extremely helpful right now. But if you know of free rent in France, I could also be persuaded to live there instead…just sayin’.

4. After much time reflecting about my life while in California, I now want to get a PhD…I KNOW. I thought I was done with school too. But I had a lot of time in CA thinking about what makes me happy and the reality is studying culture makes me happy. Specifically studying French vs. American culture, and even more specifically food culture. So if I can build a career where it is literally my job to discuss and write about French and American food and chef cultures, I’m all over it. Now I just need to develop the topic and get someone to let me into their program. Time shall tell…

5. Speaking of chefs and French food, my Mom taught me how to make my dad’s classic French mustard chicken from his old school recipe. I’m going to try it by myself this week…here’s hoping I can carry on the family tradition.

6. I am officially looking for a roommate. If I can’t find a sane person I am actually willing to live with I’m just going to move home now. If I can find a roommate, I’ll be in NYC until August when my lease is up. Once my lease is up, California is calling my name – officially.

7. All this being said, who knows what will happen in the next year and I am open to anything. But I’m a planner. So those are my plans, subject to change if the universe intervenes…or if I get arrested again.

More detailed posts later with pics from sunny California!