The Art of Science

Fun fact: I’m taking a sculpture class for my final semester at college.

A word of advice: Never, ever, EVER, assume that sculpture is an easy elective.

As much as I love and appreciate and enjoy submerging myself in the realm of good design by means of Pinterest, design blogs, beautiful books, etc., the whole art thing is not instinctively a part of my nature. In fact graphic design and writing, until about two years ago when I forced myself to pursue these subjects, were dreaded chores for me. They are much more intuitive now that I have studied and lived them but the truth is, I am naturally a science and math person. I like straight answers, orderliness, functionality, and dependency. I like to work with available things and patterns rather than draw inspiration out of nothingness. And everything that I represent in my nature is everything that sculpture is not.

I seriously went in imagining that I was going to make cool furniture and or creative table settings…that I was going to be building forts or something. It’s the exact opposite. So far we have made hybrid vegetable-like objects from plaster (the reason why I don’t show my hands in public anymore) and are now turning one of those into huge sized metal structure built from endless pieces of steel rod. So yes, that means welding, and sanding metal. That means that I have thus far stood in showers of sparks, singed my hair, and donned an incredibly stylish ensemble of leather and Darth Vader facemask. For the past two weeks I have been a hot sweaty mess with permanent helmet head.

And though the physical labor involved in sculpture is a bit rough at times, it is actually the conceptualizing in this class that is so difficult. Apparently sculpture is meant to be an art form where you proceed with intuition, enjoy the journey while forgetting the finished product, moving with unrestrained, unplanned, sometimes haphazard artistry. So for someone like me who likes instruction, formulas, and set goals (though I think the process and innovation is important too) you can see how this is difficult.

That is why it is so nice to know that after four straight days of rampant welding, there is always something I can turn to for a dose of formulaic stress release. That is why, even when it is below freezing outside, I still make ice cream. Baking, and especially ice cream making, is truly a science. That is why we get along so well. Ice cream likes its fat, water, and sugar contents a certain way and I respect that. I give that to the ice cream and in return I get something that comes out exactly how it should be.

This grapefruit and hibiscus flavored frozen yogurt is so smooth and dense and although less in fat than standard ice cream, is just as creamy. The tart and citrusy flavor is very refreshing that I almost consider it a palate cleanser more than dessert (that’s how I justify eating froyo in the dead of winter). And during this season where we are prone to cook meals with a bit more heartiness and maybe a little more garlic, onion, and spice, it’s nice to have this to lighten up the richness of the meals. And of you can’t neglect to admire the fact that it is bright fuchsia, imparted from dried hibiscus, which also brings about a delicate floral note to the zingy grapefruit. Greek yogurt adds a zippy quality too but don’t worry, it is plenty sweet.

So, though some may consider grinding away on solid steel or relishing in freeform art for their stress relief, I’ll stick to my frozen yogurt, thanks.

Grapefruit Hibiscus Frozen Yogurt
recipe from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
makes 1 quart

Ingredients:
1¼ cups 2% greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1½ cups whole milk
2 Tbs. cornstarch
4 Tbs. softened cream cheese
½ cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
strips of zest from 1 grapefruit
grapefruit syrup (recipe follows)

Grapefruit syrup
1 grapefruit
2 Tbs. sugar
¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers

First make the grapefruit syrup. Remove the zest from the grapefruit with a vegetable peeler making long strips. Set aside for later use. Cut open the grapefruit and squeeze out ½ cup of the juice. In a small saucepan, combine the grapefruit juice with the 2 Tbs. of sugar. Bring to a boil over a medium high heat, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Once boiling, remove from heat and add in the hibiscus flowers. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Strain the syrup through a sieve and set aside.

To prep the frozen yogurt, mix 3 Tbs. of the milk with the cornstarch and stir to form a slurry, whisk the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, and prepare and ice bath. Set all aside.

Combine the rest of the milk, the cream, the sugar, corn syrup, and grapefruit zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry, and return to the heat, cooking and stirring for a minute more.

Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese. Add the Greek yogurt and the grapefruit syrup and stir until combined. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps and the grapefruit zest. Pour the mixture into a gallon Ziploc bag and submerge in the ice bath for half an hour. Once fully chilled, freeze in your ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions. Pack in freezer safe container and let freeze for four hours until firm before serving.

Welsh Rarebit Risotto

Excuse me if I seem a little distracted lately. It’s just that there’s been quite a bit going on. The weather has been nice, therefore inspiring serious bouts of lounging and laziness. I’ve been busy thinking about what I’m going to make for a Superbowl party this weekend (I think its going to be deviled eggs…let me know if you have any good recipes). And I guess the main reason for the distraction is the fact that I‘m here at school but wish more than anything that I was at home playing with this little guy all day.

Meet Ozzie, the newest addition to the household. And no, he is not named after Ozzy Osborne but more so after Ozzy from Survivor. See the similarities? He is a dark brown miniature poodle from Dimarnique's Poodles in Delaware but part of me thinks he is part brown bear. He is composed almost entirely out of fluff and looks like this waddling little feather duster scooting around the floor. But he does have these huge feet that our even bigger that our 5-year old poodle’s that look just like baby bear paws and a sweet, fat tummy. He spends either half of his time going nuts and running around like a maniac or knocked out asleep. He likes to be around people at all times so he has fallen into slumber wherever we happen to be; under the coffee table while we watched TV, right next to the stove as we were cooking… Man I miss this little guy.

But I will not see him for at least two weeks longer. I’ll be hanging around school this weekend for a Superbowl party on Sunday and boy am I excited. Not necessarily because I actually like football but I cannot wait to gorge on some chicken wings. And as I said, I’ve been looking up a snack to make for the game and after spending some time browsing amongst “game-day” food lists of all things meaty, greasy, and tasty, I got an urge for something along those lines…imagine that. So I took classic football flavors and turned it into a filling and moderately healthy dinner. Now for the second big introduction in this post…meet Welsh rarebit risotto.

The best way I can describe this is that classic risotto met a hardcore football fan, one that paints his face with team colors, bears foam fingers, and may or may not have a bit of a beer belly, and birthed something entirely new...and brilliant. It’s a cacophony of all things masculine with a deep sweet bitterness of porter beer and all balanced out with tangy Dijon mustard and extra sharp cheddar cheese and a dash of Worcestershire. Made with a mixture of barley for even more malty flavor and risotto rice, it has heft and integrity from the chewy barley but the rice lends a silky creaminess. And if that is not game day enough for you, I topped it with a smoked bratwurst, cooked until tight and charred and bursting with sweet meaty flavor. And finally, to retain the elegancy or risotto, I scattered diced tomatoes and fresh green broccoli overtop to cut through the richness of the salty and tangy flavors. Like I said before, total dude food. I mean, beer, cheese, mustard, meat…it speaks for itself.

Though I won’t be making this to bring to my game-day potluck, I imagine it would be a winner if you served this at a small get-together this Sunday. Just set it up DIY style. Keep the risotto warm on the stove and set the brats, tomatoes, and broccoli to the side so everyone can heft up one whichever add-ons they please. If you thought risotto was a feminine, fancy dish, just wait until you see the manic football guy (the one who hoots and hollers and runs around the room at every touchdown, only leaving his recliner to get another beer) missing part of the game to chow down on this. I can almost guarantee it will happen.

Now how did I go from talking about our puppy to Superbowl food? See, I told you I was distracted.

Welsh Rarebit Risotto
serves 4-6
If you have leftover risotto, like I did, you can use it to make a quick lunch. Just heat it up and top it with some brussels en papillote and a sprinkling of parmesan (pictured below). It's very filling and warming and a great way to mix things up with the remaining risotto (which is much needed after I've been eating with twith the brats for four days straight). 

Ingredients
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbs. olive oil
½ onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 cup pearled barley
½ cup Arborio rice
12 oz dark beer (I used a porter and to be honest, only about 10 oz made it into the risotto. The rest was snack)
2 tsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1.5 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups broccoli florets, steamed
1 tomato, diced
4 fully cooked smoked bratwursts (I used these)
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, heat the stock until boiling. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer lightly until you are ready to use it. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook about 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and continue to cook 1 more minute. Add the barley and the rice and a little salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for a minute while stirring to lightly toast the grains.

Add the beer and the Worcestershire and stir until the liquid had completely absorbed. Then, add in the hot stock, one cup at a time, stirring occasionally. As the risotto absorbs the liquid and starts to look dry, continue adding one for cup of stock until it is gone.

While the risotto is cooking, prepare the tomato, steam the broccoli, and start crisping up the sausage in a pan with a little olive oil over a medium heat.

Once you have added all of the stock and the risotto has absorbed most of it, add the Dijon and the cheese and stir until completely incorporated. Add a little more liquid if it looks too thick and if it seems to thin, continue to cook. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, dollop a mound of risotto on a plate and top with a sliced brat, some steamed broccoli, and a scattering of the tomatoes. 

My Attempt to Embrace Winter

I’ll be honest, I really, really don’t like winter. I know that we are supposed to make the most with what each season gives but that is oh so hard when all I want to do is wear sweatpants and ten layers of sweaters and hibernate under a pile of blankets until daylight savings. I’ve been sleeping in a lot lately too, which is something I really don’t like. Generally my eyes enthusiastically burst open at the crack of dawn and by 6:30 I’ve showered and have a hearty breakfast in the works. Now it’s just a never-ending series of snooze-button pressings until the sheer embarrassment that I’m still in bed at 8:00 forces me into a wobbly standing position. Like I said, I really don’t like winter.

Over the weekend I went to the farmers market for the first time since mid-December. With memories of Christmas cheer, the hustle and the bustle to stock up on handmade crafts and Brussels sprouts stalks for the holiday table, I set out in the hopes of perhaps snagging some winter greens ore maybe even some pretty purple cauliflower. However, I arrived and saw almost nothing but mounds of potatoes and turnips. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with those items but at this point in winter, I am getting just a wee bit sick of potatoes. At this point, I just want a little freshness. 

Even the tiniest of hints.

I’m not asking for a sun-ripened tomato here, just something to let me know that the sun will be back around soon.

Please.

So after a miniature sulking session I decided that I would not give up. I would embrace winter, work alongside and maybe, just maybe, we could get through this thing together. With a little stroke of inspiration I scrounged up a hodgepodge of ingredients and concocted a winter salad that was able to bring some life back to my palette.

It’s a menagerie of root veg, oranges, salty olives, crunchy celery, and rich avocado, tossed atop a bed of quinoa and dressed with refreshing citrus vinaigrette. It’s invigorating in flavor the way the saltiness and sweetness seem to complement each other so well. You eat it thinking that it’s almost so wrong that it is totally and completely right. Olives and oranges? How would that work…trust me, it does.

If anything, this salad can at least bring a little brightness to the day just from its sheer autumnal and jewel toned hues: deep burgundy contrasted by the neon orange of the tangelo and rounded out with the limey pop of green from the avocado. Finally, a flurry of white goat’s cheese like a dusting of snow finished it off. This would be just as great on regular quinoa but the red quinoa seemed to enhance the “winter salad” feel. It comes together in as long as it takes to cook the quinoa and certainly is a nice break from all those potatoes.

Winter Quinoa Salad
serves 2-4
A few notes on the ingredients…as much as I would like to say that I roasted my own beets, I was too lazy. Plus, the ones at the grocery store looked a little sad. Instead I used these organic vacuum-sealed beets and actually found their flavor to be quite comparable to fresh. Good to know. I also used Minneola tangelos for their tart grapefruity flavor but navel oranges or even blood oranges would be fine. Finally, if you want to make this ahead of time, toss the quinoa, beets, oranges, olives, and celery with the vinaigrette and refrigerate and wait until serving to top with the avocado and goat cheese. It tastes best at room temperature.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
5 baby beets, sliced (if you are cooking fresh beets here are cooking instructions)
2 Minneola tangelo oranges, zested, segmented, and juices reserved
¼ cup kalamata olives, quartered
1 rib celery, diced
½ avocado, diced
goat cheese crumbles, to serve

for vinaigrette
¼ cup fresh orange juice, reserved from oranges
¼ tsp orange zest
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. While that is cooking, prepare the beets, oranges, olives, celery, avocado, and goat cheese and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until combined.

When the quinoa is finished, pour it into a bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes to cool some. Add about ¾ of the dressing ad toss to combine. Add the beets, orange segments, olives and celery and mix. Spoon into serving bowls and top with the avocado and the goat cheese and a drizzle of the remaining dressing.

A Soup for the Seemingly Incurably Sick

The past week, starting around last Sunday, was a long, long, long week. The longest I can remember. And even though the days passed in a stressful frenzy, the week as a whole dragged as if ten seconds were tacked onto every single one. The main reason: it was the first week of my last semester in college so the aptly named “syllabus week” was destined to be a bit of a bore. Along with that, it is the week where you have to face the fact that there will be no rest for quite a few months (the syllabi give me friendly reminder of the vast readings, papers, presentations, and projects looming in the distance). And finally, just my luck, I ended up with a doozy of a cold starting on day one so all of my professors most likely got a lovely first impression of me as “that lazy student who looks half-drugged, sounds like a duck when she talks, and will probably only come to a handful of classes”. Oh but I will prove then wrong now that I no longer feel like my brain is nothing more that a pile of slightly jellified oatmeal.

It was one of those colds that seems to take its sweet ole time moving along. Honestly, if I’m to get sick, I just want it to hit me. BAM! Just like that. First I’m healthy, then I’m sick, and by day two I’m already on the road to recovery. This cold was one where, a week into thing, you wake up, praying it will finally be the day where you hit the downhill slope, only to realize that the symptoms are just ever so slightly worse. It lingers for weeks after, providing just enough of a cough and nasal drippage that people think you’re nastily sick when, in reality, it’s been weeks since you were contagious.

Yes, this was one of those colds. It has drained my entire body, physically and mentally, and to be honest my desire to cook has been quite minimal. And when everything tasted like cardboard anyway, what was the point in making something good. Yet, finally, I am just now able to start tasting my food. I’ve been yearning for a hint of flavor, something to awaken my tastebuds, and I really found something to kick start my renewed sense. This is something along the lines of a southwestern style potato soup. It vegetarian, virtually fat-free, but it is tremendous in flavor, hearty and creamy in texture, and packs a huge punch of heat. Half a jalapeno and a good bit of cayenne add a hidden kick while a surprising addition of molasses rounds it out with a deep, sweetness. After only a few bites, my sinuses were amazingly clearer than I remember them being in a while. Best yet, once I was finished peeling and dicing, the whole thing came together in twenty minutes of largely idle time. I took a bite and was simply just in shock that something with so many levels of flavor was so simple.

At a time when I thought that this cold would never end, this soup came along to knock enough sense and energy into me to remind me that these things do pass. Here’s to a more successful second week…and three more days of leftover soup. 

Southwest Potato Soup
serves 4-6
adapted from The Wednesday Chef

I strayed a little from the original recipe. I used a mixture of red and sweet potatoes, rather than just sweet, added the beans for a little heft, and pureed, only half of the soup to leave some potato chunkiness. I bought a little baguette to go on the side but in hindsight I now wish I had bought a large bag of tortilla chips and used them as a spoon equivalent. Therefore I may just have to buy a bag of chips tomorrow.

Ingredients
olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, finely diced
2½ pounds of a mix of red potatoes and sweet potatoes, peeled and cud into ¾ inch cubes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1-14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbs. molasses
¼ tsp. cayenne
a pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
to serve: a spoonful of plain yogurt, diced avocado, and tortilla chips

In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft. Add the potatoes and the stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 13-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and return the pot to the heat. Add the corn, beans, molasses, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and return to a light boil until reheated through.

Serve in a bowl with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream, some diced pieces of avocado, perhaps some diced tomatoes or cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips on the side for scooping up the soup.

Pumpkin Polenta

In my defense, I made this creamy, starchy, and comforting delight back in the days of 2011, before the New Year health kick charged in for its month-long (maybe two) appearance. However, in my admittance I had Chipotle, movie theatre popcorn, and chocolate covered toffee for lunch yesterday so I remain, as your first impression of this post led you to believe, guilty as charged.

This polenta is just something I could not pass up. I looked so inviting on this blog, bright orange from a hefty dose of pumpkin (and you know how much I love my pumpkin and orange foods), its flavored heightened with a touch of paprika, cayenne, and nutmeg. It’s sprinkled with a handful or two of aged cheddar cheese, and intensified with a scattering of pork.

The swelled grains of cornmeal, turned into indulgent creaminess by the mere activations of its starches, serves at a perfect nest for spicy chorizo meatballs, dark and crusted on the outside. It slid slowly into the stomach leaving a hot path along the esophagus and sat like warm steamy bath in my stomach. Its something you eat on a biting cold night. It’s also great for people who are a little upset. It has that calming tendency yet rejuvenation from the gentle heat that kicks in a while after the initial taste.

I know you are probably researching salad recipes right now and other low-carb, lean-protein, veg-rich dishes. I saw the health craze every year when I headed back to college: the salad bar line was a little longer than normal, the gyms looked like a war zone after an epic battle for the elliptical machine, and every girl dresses as if she is ready to work out at the drop of a hat (oh wait, they do that year-round). But I ask you to still consider a little polenta indulgence. In fact, the more I think about it, the actual polenta part of this recipe (meatballs aside) is really not to bad in the health department. It has plenty of protein on its own and is crammed with calcium and beta rich pumpkin. Plus, with all of the add-ins and flavorings, you end up with something quite a bit more advanced than your standard polenta. Pair it with a succulent sauté of mushrooms and dark kale and I think you can end you day relatively guilt free yet filled with warming and rich food.

Pumpkin Polenta
serves 4 as a main adapted slightly from Evil Shenanigans

I’m not including the meatball recipe because it is simply ground chorizo mixed with a little onion and breadcrumbs, formed into meatballs and cooked in a frying pan until done. And it’s really more of a suggestion. You could also sprinkle over some bacon or like I said, some sautéed leafy greens or even some warmed black beans. This also reheats nicely.*

Ingredients
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic glove, minced
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
3 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup polenta
¾-1 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
2 Tbs. cream cheese

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a Dutch oven or an ovenproof pot with a lid, heat the oil and butter over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cayenne, paprika, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and continue to cook for another minute. Add the pumpkin puree and mix to combine. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin is slightly toasted.

Whisk in the milk and the broth, breaking any lumps in the pumpkin mixture, until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Once added, give the mixture a final stir, cover with the lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir every ten minutes, adding more broth, milk, or water if it starts to look dry.

Meanwhile, cook any additions you plan to eat with your polenta, whether it be chorizo meatballs, bacon, or vegetable/beans.

When the polenta is finished cooking, remove from the oven and add the grated cheese and the cream cheese. Stir until completely combined and add any more liquids if necessary until you reach you desired consistency. Serve immediately.

*Pour any excess into a glass or ceramic dish, spread even, and refrigerate. To prepare leftovers, you can cut the set polenta into wedges and pan-fry them or mash a portion of it in a bowl into fine crumbles, add some water and/or milk and microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring vigorously every 30 seconds, until creamy and hot.