Category Archives: General
White Elephants
At work today, the Engineering department had a holiday party. Instead of the usual Yankee swap, this year we had a White Elephant swap. Everyone brought something they didn’t really want, nicely wrapped. We picked numbers and started to open packages. It was amusing. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and this proved true.
I brought an unused electric espresso machine that my dad gave me. He got it when he opened a new bank account. It was something I would never use. When someone opened that gift, someone else said that whoever brought it didn’t read the rules. What they didn’t know is that it had been sitting in my basement awaiting our next trip to Goodwill.
When it was my turn, I picked a Snuggie, one of those blankets to wear while you watch TV. Someone stole it from me, almost immediately. My next package turned out to be a few chocolate bars and some peppermint bark. Not bad. A few people threatened to steal my candy, but I managed to keep it until the end. However, my friend Jeanne ended up with DVDs of some horror movies. She barely wanted to touch them and definitely didn’t want to take them home. Not that I watch horror movies myself, but I knew Howard would love to watch them, so, in the holiday spirit, I traded with her. Howard seems happy with the movies, so everyone was happy.
Our engineering potlucks are always plentiful and delicious. Our group hails from many different countries and backgrounds, so the food is always varied and interesting. Today was no exception. There were meatballs, a few Indian dishes, a Senegalese peanut soup, and pad thai. There were also many desserts.
I brought a spinach pie. I hadn’t made it before, but it was a success. It was a crustless pie, with lots of spinach and cheese, like the filling of a spanakopita.
Spinach Pie
Serves 6-8 (or many more at a potluck)
Adapted from “Love Soup” by Anna Thomas
1 lb onions, chopped fine (I chopped them in the food processor)
2 lbs chopped spinach (I used frozen, thawed)
3 Tbsp olive oil
15 oz ricotta cheese
1½ c grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb feta cheese
5 eggs, lightly beaten
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and cook the onions with a pinch of salt over low heat. Stir often, until the onions are soft and starting to turn golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. After the onions are caramelized, remove them from the pan and put them in a large bowl.
Add thawed spinach to the pan and heat to evaporate any water. Add to the onion and stir together.
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Rinse the feta cheese and drain well on paper towels. Crumble feta into small pieces. Mix crumbled feta with ricotta and Parmesan. Stir in the beaten eggs. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Combine the cheese mixture with the spinach mixture and mix together thoroughly.
Lightly oil a shallow casserole dish, about 13×9 inches. Spoon the mixture into the casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 30-35 minutes, until the center of the pie feels firm. Check after 20 minutes. If the top is getting too dark, cover loosely with foil.
Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes:
I prepared the casserole the night before and baked it the next day. I put the casserole dish (which hadn’t had a chance to warm up) into the oven as it preheated, and timed it starting from when the oven reached temperature.
I Love My Birthday
This weekend, Sunday, actually, it was my birthday. I LOVE birthdays, especially mine. I also love not having to go to work on my birthday, just getting to do the things I like to do.
If I ever run my own company (unlikely as that might be), every one will get their birthday off if it falls on a workday. You have to take the day off, can’t save it for another day. If your birthday is on a weekend, no extra day off. The point is to not have to work on your birthday.
Mother Nature brought me our first winter storm. I awoke on Sunday morning to a winter wonderland. Isn’t it pretty?
I didn’t cook anything the entire weekend. We had house guests (Howard’s sister Sheryl and her husband Paul). We spent Saturday and Sunday visiting with local relatives, so, we were barely at home.
Sunday night, we did have an extra-special birthday dinner. We went to Craigie on Main in Central Square in Cambridge. A few years ago, we went to this restaurant in its previous location just outside of Harvard Square. It was called Craigie Street Bistro then. That meal counted as one of the “Top 5” in my lifetime. The restaurant moved about a year ago, and this was our first time to the new spot.
Our meal was excellent! The chef-owner Tony Maws procures the freshest and most local ingredients available. The menu depends on what ingredients he has. In fact, at the bottom of the menu, it said “Printed at 5:17 p.m. after the last food delivery was approved.” He has a strong commitment to local ingredients and sustainability, even more extreme than what we’ve been trying to do at home. Craigie on Main is definitely a unique and special place to eat.
We decided on the Chef’s Market Menu, the prix fixe menu. There were two choices for each course. It was my birthday, so I picked what I wanted, and Howard got the opposite. That way we could taste everything. I can’t remember all the details of what was in each dish. The menu mentioned each ingredient, but there were so many, this is all I can recall.
Here’s what I got:
Amuse Bouche: Tuna Rillettes with Hackleback Caviar
Appetizer: Ragout with Wild Mushrooms, Sausage, and a poached egg
Entrée: Venison, both medallions and sausage
Dessert: Winter Fruit Crisp with Lemon Balm ice cream and a glass of dessert wine (I don’t remember what it was, but it was flowery and perfect with the crisp)
Here’s what Howard got:
Amuse Bouche: Pork Belly & Local Mozzarella
Appetizer: Bay Scallop Sashimi with Kim Chi Seasonings
Entrée: Loup de Mer with shellfish
Dessert: Olive Oil and Tazo Chocolate Mousse with Port
Howard and I also shared a side of Brussels sprouts roasted in duck fat. And after dessert, the waiter brought us each a small cup of Valrhona hot chocolate spiced with cardamom and ancho chile to warm us before we went back out into the cold.
Howard made the reservations over a month ago, but last week, I received a “birthday gift certificate” from the restaurant. I must have given my birthday when signing up on their email list when we ate there the first time.
The email entitled me to a complimentary birthday cocktail and a parting gift. The drink menu was very unusual – nothing familiar on it. I selected one called Northern Lights. It was made with St. Germaine, Scotch, citrus, Bittermens Tiki. Our waiter explained how the cocktails from the bar were less sweet than modern cocktails, more of a pre-Prohibition style. It was tasty. When they brought the check, I got a small jar of Herbes de Provence, tied up in ribbons, to take home with me. I will think of our meal at Craigie when I use the herbs.
In case you’re wondering, here are the Top 5 meals that Howard and I have shared (in no particular order):
- Our first meal at Craigie Street Bistro for our 15th wedding anniversary
- My birthday dinner last year at T.W. Food in Cambridge (for a special wild game menu)
- Hugo’s in Portland, Maine, to celebrate Howard’s father’s 70th birthday
- Tra Vigne in St. Helena, California (Napa Valley). We’ve eaten there a few times, but there was one particular meal we both remember particularly well.
- La Campania in Waltham (both times)
A Plateful of Happiness 