charlotteann

Quite possibly the most discussed topic in the world, the weather influences everything we do. Obviously. I had something sort of prepared to write about the weather but I’ve already bored myself, so I won’t burden you, dear readers. The idea was that the recent boon of heat had me preparing decidedly “summery” food. Temperatures exceeded 90 degrees (f) in San Francisco this week and we all complained about it. We loved it, but we complained nevertheless. We spent our unemployed days in the park instead of in cheap coffee shops, and we bared our pale skin after applying SPF 75 sunblock. We also went to the farmers’ market to purchase lemons in order to indulge a particularly intense craving for lemonade.

Since today is half over and still overcast, my enthusiasm to write about how fabulous this lemonade was on a hot summer’s day is waning quickly. But I shall do my best.

The coldest summer in 40 years came to an abrupt, record-setting end at the beginning of this week and anyone who had to go to work was probably pretty bummed out. But I don’t feel bad for them because they have jobs. Anyway, I got really sweaty and gross from the heat and just felt like a glass of lemonade. I wandered down to the farmers’ market in shorts of all things and loaded up my bag with summery things like strawberries, lemons, figs, and tomatoes. I also bought an enormous bunch of basil that had seen better days but I needed it for Super Summer Salad Event: Insalata Caprese!

Raw tomatoes are another not-favorite of mine (like eggs). I met someone recently who shares my distaste for raw tomatoes. Or rather, they shared my distaste because they had systematically forced their taste buds to reverse their opinion and start loving tomatoes. Why? Who knows. Maybe because tomatoes are like, but not as bad as, eggs when it comes to things like sandwiches: they’re all over the place and it would behoove oneself to tolerate them. Otherwise you’ll be saying “no tomatoes” for the rest of your life. What a waste of time. But with a homemade caprese salad, I discovered I can handle a thick slice of raw tomato because it’s smothered in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and topped with basil and mozzarella (in case you didn’t know). Is this the beginning of a taste bud-turning journey? Will I someday enjoy raw tomatoes on my sandwich? Only time will tell…

Well, hello! It’s been awhile. You know why? I do. I had school. It seems that I have difficulty blogging during classes. I recently completed a two week long intensive summer course called “Art On Paper.” I made some nifty illustrations inspired by/drawn from old photographs of mine. Click here to check ‘em out.

But now that that’s over, I have time to cook again! Or at least cook something other than instant ramen. And by “something other” I mean “instant pho.” Happy Pho*!

I know what you’re thinking: no way that could be good. Vegan pho? It’s an oxymoron, I thought, as I tossed the $4 box of instant noodle soup into my shopping basket at Whole Foods. I also thought it would be great to blog about, so here we are.

(more…)

Pancakes! My goodness, it has been years since I have enjoyed a blueberry pancake. Maybe not years, but my mom (who lives in Maine and has access to superior blueberries) makes them sometimes when I infrequently visit her and they are simply delish. I would have liked some bacon this morning but my little apartment would have smelled for a week.

(more…)

I go back and forth with coffee, and by that I mean I lie about whether or not I drink it. I drink coffee like any respectable student should, but I’m not into lattés or macchiatos. When I fib about my coffee consumption it’s because I don’t want to drink your coffee. Illy is my favorite and I’m sticking to it, $15 a can be damned!

Since I’m spending so much cash on coffee I drink about three times a week (other mornings are started with PG Tips tea), it’s time to start being a little thriftier on other things. Okay, that was a lie, too: I need to be thriftier in general. But I’m also trying to cut meat out of my diet unless it’s sustainably fished from the sea. Thus my breakfast this morning consisted of yellow potatoes, yellow onion, and Smart brand sausages “chorizo style.” For the record, they taste nothing like chorizo. Nor do they imitate its texture in any way. The closest it came to resembling the real thing was in the color of the stain it left on my cutting board.

(more…)

The soup challenge continues! As promised (?) I have consumed a bowl of soup every day since August 12th, 2009 and I am so far still a big fan of soup. Let’s hope my enthusiasm does not wane with the moon. Or whatever. I purchased five different kinds of Koyo brand instant noodles at the SOMA Whole Foods Market the other day. They will not only be my soup for one sixth of this challenge, but also fodder for a blog entry later on comparing all the flavors, not to mention a discussion of instant ramens in their glorious entirety. But until that day comes, I must write of other things… Like my new iPhone! It’s sleek and buttonless and just plain awesome. Somewhat inspired by Greg’s tumblr I started my very own tumblr for daily, iPhone camera photos of the stuff I eat when I’m out there, doin’ my thing.

My last two bowls of soup (both vegetarian) were okay but, like these photographs, rather boring. That book acting as placemat (Anne-Catherin Bley’s “Soup”) has a recipe for cream of tomato soup with bacon. Cream of tomato soup is hardly rocket science, but I just bought some bacon and feel like I should try and cook something more challenging and wholesome than instant ramen.

02 Koyo brand instant ramen noodles (lemongrass and ginger flavor).

03 Udon noodles with tofu and cilantro in miso broth.

I was supposed to take the party cat to the vet this morning but had to cancel when I awoke at 7:00 AM and realized my driver’s license is still missing. Dilemma: risk it and go back to sleep or wake up, cancel your ZipCar reservation, call the vet’s office, and have to deal with breakfast. I imagined myself getting pulled over on the highway, sobbing as the officer asks for my license and registration while I blurt out some story that my poor kitten ingested a cup of rat poison and needed immediate medical attention. Of course that wouldn’t work because people without driver’s licenses get around just fine in such situations in taxis, a fact I’m sure this potential highway patrol man would have pointed out before cuffing me and ruining my impeccable driving record. Ok, I admit, this is a little dramatic. And I think I have a speeding ticket on my record anyway. Point is, my imagination runs wild in the morning and I decided to cancel the appointment.

After getting off the phone with the vet’s office, I felt hungry. I also felt relieved because the assistant told me Ellie doesn’t need her shots until August, something we both appreciate I’m sure. A few days ago I bought two baguettes from Lee’s Sandwiches on Larkin and Eddy. I wanted just one, but it was two for $1.50! What a steal. So, there I was, hungry and stuck with one and half very dry baguettes. The obvious solution: French toast! The French call it pain perdu which literally means “lost bread.” To be perfectly honest, those baguettes were pretty lost to begin with. I love Vietnamese sandwiches, but the bread on its own doesn’t really hold up. At least not the Lee’s baguettes. A quick trip to the corner store for some milk and about 30 minutes later I had my breakfast.

I made this according to a loose interpretation of how my mother and her mother have made French toast for me in the past. Being young, lazy, and not much of a sugar fiend I didn’t include any of the powdered stuff that makes a nice addition. You might also look into adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I totally did after taking the picture.

French Toast
• some kind of aging bread
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 egg
• cinnamon (to taste)
• 1 peach
• maple syrup
• real butter (unsalted and lots of it)

First, cut the bread into slices if someone has not already done so for you. Then whisk together the milk, egg, and cinnamon in a bowl. I usually whisk until it’s a little frothy (no reason). Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add one to two tablespoons of butter. While it melts, soak the pieces of bread - about 10 seconds each side depending on thickness - in the batter. Make sure they pick up some of the cinnamon because it will be delicious later on. After the butter has melted, lower the heat slightly and add the pieces of bread to the pan. Cook until the first side is browned and then turn over. I, after forgetting to do this earlier and now forgot to mention it earlier in the post, will now suggest you preheat your oven or toaster oven to 200 degrees. When the pieces are browned on both sides, transfer them to the oven to keep warm. This will also ensure you get the inside of your toast cooked if you happen to slice the bread thick and then cook it too fast. Slice your peach and get out the maple syrup and butter. Remove the pieces from the oven, smother them in butter and syrup, and enjoy!

Back when I went to college for the first time, I was a French major. This eventually got to me to Paris where I lived with two very different families in two very different arrondissements. The overall experience of spending my junior year abroad was positive and was a major player in my current interest in food and cooking. French food is awesome. Some say it’s overrated, but they’re probably just jealous.

Growing up in the USA, I was never a huge fan of breakfast. Mornings before school were all about getting as much sleep as possible - whether by ignoring my increasingly fed up mother or hitting the snooze button over and over - while leaving just enough time to get dressed and walk to school. It’s a skill I maintained throughout boarding school and now my “adult” life. But I’m going to tell you my secret: don’t shower and don’t eat. Both of these things slow you down, and you can take care of at least one of them the night before.

In Paris however, living under someone else’s (a Frenchwoman’s) roof makes skipping breakfast damn near impossible because getting away with anything in a French home is hard. Believe me, I tried. Michelle was an amazing woman and she fed me all sorts of things, like tripe and prepackaged grilled cheese sandwiches. She also insisted I eat a petit dejeuner every day before class, and I found my ideal breakfast as a result. American breakfasts suck and involve undeveloped chicken fetuses. But a piece of bread with butter and jam? Heaven.

Do you go to the gym? I do and boy does that elliptical machine kick my butt. Well, only if I let it. Hunger invariably sets in after a good ol’ sweatfest and today I made a grilled cheese to show that hunger who’s boss. That, and there’s been a loaf of bread sitting in my fridge for at least a week and thought it might be time to use it. There’s a lot to be said for the grilled cheese sandwich: it’s easy, fast, and oh so comforting. I use my 10″ Calphalon crepe pan to get the perfect crunch on my sandwich bread. The pan handles sizzling butter exceptionally well, as it darn well should being designed for crepes and all.