River Ego or River Entertaining?

Ah. Memorial Day weekend.  Sadly, this lovely 4 day weekend is over.  We went camping on the Russian River with some friends and had an amazing time. It's been a while since I've slept in a sleeping bag in a tent, in fact, I can't remember the last time BUT it was awesome.  We campfire'd, we smore'd and best of all, we canoed all day on Saturday.  On the river in a canoe, coasting and paddling. It was so fun.  Rory and I had a blast. 

Rory went on the trip last year without me, unfortunately, but I heard about all this amazing food everyone had eaten and I was bound and determined to make something that was amazing on a camping trip.  As I was frantically, yes it was frantic...did we not read "bound and determined"...looking for what to make on the river I hopped over to a blog I love, Cuisinerd, she always has great LA insights and is always working on fun projects. Anyway, her most recent post was about Bánh mì's...the sandwich of the summer and I knew that was it.  Contained yet fun and fresh and, lest we forget, impressive.  WHAT if I could bust out Bánh mì's ON THE RIVER when we stopped to eat?  What if?  How amazing would that be.  And let me tell you...it was awesome.  I was even asked, while I was constructing this little guys for everyone, "Was this for the group or your ego?" and, if I answered honestly...it was both.  I had set out to do a 'blow your mind' kind of meal and I thoroughly enjoyed making sandwiches for everyone.  I love this sh!t. So much.  I wish I could show you a picture but on the river, electronics get ruined.  Just know, I had 16 happy canoers on beach happily eating my fresh little sandwiches.

These are pretty tasty sandwiches, and they are pretty customizable.  You can make 'em as hot or mild as you want. I tried Cuisinerd's quick pickle recipe but used black radishes first and left them out overnight and they smelled and tasted funky...so I started over with a different recipe and they were awesome.

River Bánh Mì's
adapted from Cuisinerd's recipe here

Ingredients
French baguette
Sliced roasted Ham
Pâté of choice (we use chicken with black mushrooms and a vegan terrine)
Mayo
Quick-pickled julienne carrots & daikon radish (recipe below)
Sliced jalapeños
Julienne cucumber
Cilantro
Sriracha

Directions
1. Slice baguette leaving a hinge on one side.
2. Coat one side with mayo and the other with pâté.
3. Begin to layer - we went ham, pickles, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro then sriracha...you can put as little or as much on these guys.

Quick Pickled Carrots & Diakon's 
I used a modification of this recipe, we all know how I like to modify pickles! (I can't help it...I can, but don't want to)

 

Ingredients

1 medium daikon radish, julienned...which is hard, so get as thin as you can

3 carrots julienned, see above
2 whole garlic cloves

For the brine
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 bay leaf

 

Directions

1. Layer your veggies tightly in a 1-quart glass jar, leaving about 1/2 inch of room at the top. We went carrots, radishes, carrots, radishes and so on.  I could have/should have used more veggies. Set aside.
2. Make the brine - I forgot to toast the mustard and the peppercorns, this would have added more flavor so I'd suggest you remember but if you don't, don't stress...pickles were still good. In a small saucepan add all of the ingredients and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Bring to a boil.

3. Immediately pour into the jar, covering all the vegetables completely. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake or rotate it to really mix it all up. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 day...then move to a cooler you hope will remain cold and hope for the best! (OR preferably leave them for 1 week before using. The pickles can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 month)

 

I can't forget to mention that we did pickle-backs with my leftover pickle juice. NOM. Do you know what a pickle-back is?  It's a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice and it's AWESOME.  We used Bullet Rye.  Sheesh.  Adults on a camping trip!

 

What did you do for Memorial Day? 

brain operations

My brain works in an interesting way.  I guess all of ours do... I've been traveling for the last three weeks; touring with Rory, going to Bonnaroo, seeing the Wall for the last time, seeing college friends, and finally going to NYC for the first time in a year and a half for a wedding.  It was a very emotionally heavy trip, especially that last part...I had many expectations of what it would be like to be back, some were met, some were not.  What I did take away from the trip was that New York isn't my home anymore, it's a place that holds fond memories, growth and a lot of potential.  LA is my home now and being away from it made me aware that I do take comfort in that. I may not be fully rooted yet, but things are shifting and settling in.

One thing I am very glad I got to do a lot of was cook and sit around a table with a handful of very important people.  We laughed, cried, drank and ate. It was fabulous.  It reinforces the fact that sitting around the table sharing a meal with people I love is where I find my community. It's where I experience great joy with the most important people in my life. 

I'm currently on a plane, eager to get back to LA, and these thoughts came out of my mouth: "the key to  a roast chicken is to cut through the bone after it's cooked a little cooled." I mean, duh, right?  AND, "how can I make that curry rice pilaf with out using the box mix...what seasoning should I use...I think Rory would like it."  OR "I bet I could make a whole meal out of orzo, fresh parsley, tomatoes and some shredded gruyere or parm."  I'm excited to go home and set my table again, work in my kitchen, re-establish myself in MY home. 

What makes for a "home" moment for you?

out of sorts

I've been way busy organizing my work schedule that I haven't had much time for blogging. I also just got back from a Florida family vacation, I was even called Aunt Jordan which was nice.  I'm Auntie Jo on my families side and think I will be Aunt Jordan on the other side. :)

I have made stuffed chicken breast w. goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon, served with quinoa and roasted beets. I also made a brown butter strawberry banana bread...this was inspired by joy the baker.  I suggest, if you haven't already, check out her website...she's incredible. :)

I'll get back in here when my schedule is on more of a routine. xo

thank you, scare.

Desiderata.  By Max Ehrman

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be carefull.

Strive to be happy.

I am on vacation with Rory and his family.  We're going to the baptism of his niece, Emma. A week off was much needed, I hope that it recharges and refocuses me. 

Friends and good ol' comfort cures

I just got back from a week out of LA. It was great, it was needed and even though I've come back a little sick (I think OR it's allergies) it was awesome.

We road tripped to San Francisco for my birthday and for Rory's CD recording. We stopped in Monterey, had a birthday beer.

Checked into our hotel, rested and relaxed and went out to celebrate my 30th birthday. Went to the Elbo Room in the Mission, a bar that has arcade games and a photo booth plus great cocktails. This is where Rory surprised me with one of my birthday presents.

Then we went to Delfina, a lovely Italian (DUH!) restaurant in the Mission. We had a lamb ragu, a spicy cauliflower pasta, roast chicken and a buttermilk panna cotta with balsamic strawberries. Yum. Yum. Yum. We also had a lesson in determining if our wine was good or not.  We got a bad bottle, thought it was okay and the sommelier wasn't so sure, so she tried it and brought us a different bottle. We were thankful that she was so honest. I enjoy San Francisco, a lot.  Rory had two awesome shows and I'm pretty sure he's going to be happy with his album. 

Then I drove 9 hours to Vegas - long long trip but I drove through San Luis Reservoir and it was gorgeous. Had birthday dinner with my family. 30 candles!

Hung out with this guy, Aadi. He's pretty adorable.

Got to hug my super pregnant friend, Tiff, while hanging out with a ton of friends.

And now, I'm home and a little under the weather, so, I made chicken soup. Easy and delicious. 

Old Fashion Chicken Soup 
slightly adapted from here
serves 12 or more

16 cups chicken stock (low sodium or not)
1 4lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I forgot this step!)
2 leeks, sliced
8 oz dried wide egg noodles (I poured the whole bag in...oops!)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley


Break down your chicken. I demolished my chicken...not the way I was supposed to I don't think. You can always buy pre-brokendown chicken or you can goggle breaking down a chicken and follow someones steps.


Combine chicken stock and chicken in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes. Take the chicken out, let it cool. Let broth cool and skim the fat off the top. Discard the skin and bones (you can keep the bones for your own stock! I forgot and put the bones into a freshly bleached sink), tear chicken into bite-size pieces and reserve.


Return the broth to a simmer, add onion, carrots and celery.  Simmer about 8 minutes.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, add the mushrooms and leeks, saute until the mushrooms are a little brown.  Add to the broth, stir in the noodles, parsley and chicken.  Simmer until noodles are tender, season with pepper and salt if you need it. And enjoy. 


xo

cali-forn-i-a. part 2

california. california. california. and off i go: after monterey, we drove on US-1 some more. it was so pretty, so many mountains and so green. it was wonderful being out of the concrete jungle for a bit and smelling the fresh air, having the windows down and just sitting. rory made a mix (2 i might add) that we played the entire, well, most of the trip. 

it was fabulous. and all that ocean! beautiful. most of these pictures were taken from the car, so, pardon the blurr here or there. then we stopped in big sur, we wanted to walk amongst the redwoods, sadly, there wasnt a grove that we could hang out in. i think thats all rory wanted to do, was hang out with the trees and when it wasnt a possibility, we both were sort of ready to get back on the road.

le sigh. then, we drove s'more. there was so much fog rolling off the ocean. it looked like if you jumped you'd land in a big piles of cotton candy. yum. 

we breezed through much of the remainder of the drive, trying to get back to LA by 9 to get our car. but we definatly stopped to see the sea lions, how could we not?!

then, it happened. we stopped for dinner. and do you know what that dinner was?!?!?! 

yes! yes! yes! in-n-out, in-n-out!! that's what a hamburger's aaaall about. i love in-n-out. like a lot. and i used to argue that in n' out burger did a better burger than five guys. i had to stay true to the las vegas roots...but, on this trip...i consented. five guys, you win. you do a damn good burger, and in-n-out, its not that i dont love your burgers, but if i had to choose. id have to go with five guys, there. i said it. and then we were in LA and the weekend began.

friday: now, let the LA food begin. rory was crashing in a weho (west hollywood) which was nice. LA is an interesting place. its a dirty place but nice. its breezy and sunny. and there's tons to do. breakfast. we went to freds, in los feliz (? i think)

it was good. i had a breakfast sandwich and rory had crusted french toast.

clearly, we liked it. fred's is a really cool, hip place. its got drawings of famous actors and actress's all over the walls, its sort of a 50s diner with a rockabilly vibe. well, maybe more a calendar girl vibe. lots of tatted up folks enjoying breakfast on this fine friday. it was quite lovely. rory had some meetings and i was able to go hiking with one of my dearest friends. we haven't see each other in a long time, so it was nice to have the time to catch up. whats so great about really good friends is that you dont feel like you missed a beat. you pick up right where you left off. you already know the other persons tempo. you cant do it with everyone, but when you can. its brilliant. (she really is fabulous and i cannot wait to see her on a more regular basis. misses!) while we were hiking, she caught this

we went to a show at the fermosa cafe that night. i met some LA comics.  the guy who ran the show was really nice. when we got introduced he asked me if i had ever had Jordan wine, I had not, and that seemed to be it. When we went into watch the show, he asked me to sit with his girlfriend and told me he had a present for me...then then proceeded to pull out a bottle of Jordan 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. it was one of the most generous things anyone I had just met has ever done for me. it blew me away.  the four of us shared the bottle and have since become friends on facebook. :) it was pretty sweet. and it was a really good bottle of wine. we then ate at the restaurant attached to the bar. rory got fired rice and i had truffle mac n'cheese. rory liked mine, i thought it was bland. is that bad? i just wasnt impressed. i wanted a stronger cheesiness...such is life.
saturday: oh saturday. for brunch...cause come on, people...brunch is one of the most important meals of the day...we went to square one. to die for. all organic and all local (i assume). it was really good. it was also next to one of the 8thousand scientology centers in la. (!) i had a breakfast skillet and a fruit bowl. i couldnt resist the fruit bowl, though i'm sure i didnt need it, but i was looking at everyone elses table and i couldnt resist.  my skillet was so good, i forgot to take a picture until i had all but finished it! it was grits, collard greens, farm fresh eggs and some mushrooms. yum!

then we went to get a cup of coffee in sliverlake at intelligencia. maybe some of the best coffee in LA? not sure, i will have to find out...it was the best cup of coffee i had while in LA. then we went to melrose to shop. duhnuhnuhnuh duhnuh nuh nuh clap clap. it was cool. and a lot cheaper than i expected. noted LA. you have cheaper clothing then NYC. which is sort of weird, but okay. i bought a sassy shirt i cannot wait to wear this summer, i did (of course) wear it that night to the party we went to. see how cute it is...

i meant how cute we are. 
sunday: so. i did it. i went in the tank. rorys been talking about it since he did it the first time. it was weird. it was an interesting experience (side note: this seems to be the year of trying new "types" of things for me thus far...i went to acupuncture last week and am going again on friday, but thats another post). crash the guy who runs the place was awesome. he was nice and walked me through the steps of being a "first timer" gently. basically, you take off all your clothes, put in ear plugs, get in the shower and then climb in the tank. the tank is pitch black and theres about 2+ feet of water in a tub thats big enough for you to lay down in. the water is full of epsom salts, so you are buoyant and seemingly have to do nothing to just lay in the water and exist. rory had explained how it had gone for him in the past, so i had some expectations, not a lot. i was in the tank for an hour and 20 minutes. i sort of thought i would be in there for much less time. its very meditative. i just let my mind go. literally. just let my thoughts pass and tried to get to a blank canvas. i dont think i ever fully got there...i think that may have been b.c i was always aware of where i was and what i was doing. (thats how my first acupuncture appt. went...maybe i'm a second-go-rounder). it was cool and i would for sure do it again. we had lunch in santa monica and then headed home. rory and i just hung out that night and ran lines. it was nice. 
monday: all things have to come to an end. sadly. LA was fun. i wasnt ready to go back to NYC without rory, but, a girls gotta eat. (ha!) before i left we were able to go over to Mosaic and hang out a bit. Then we went to waffle.

NO ONE was there. i guess thats what happens on a monday morning. everyone went back to work. the waffles were good. no where near great. blame it on monday morning? and then, rory took me to the airport. we hugged for a long time and said see you in april...and that folks. was california.

cali-forn-i-a, part 1.

i just got back; well not just, i've been home almost a week and i've been busy so i havent had a moment to upload my pictures.  the trip was lovely. it was nice to be in the sun. i met my bf in san francisco for his final show, he's a comedian and very funny.  if you don't know him you should check him out. i'd say he's hilarious. there's really never a dull moment and i giggle all the time, its wonderful. 

thursday: i got to san fran on st. patty's day. a gentleman on the tram to my terminal scolded me for not wearing green...shame on me. five hours is a long time to go with out food. i kept resisting buying something on the airplane. i flew virgin and they let you swipe your card on a little tv basically plugged into your brain directly in front of your face so it was very, very tempting. i resisted. we landed 45 min early and my ride was far off...so i wanted to get food. a girlfriend of my assures me that ANY airport is international waters so McDonald's, etc. is of course fair game. i went looking...jordan, its san francisco, WHY would they have McDs or anything of that nature in the airport?! did i mention how nice and swanky this airport felt? it was like everywhere was 1st class. (only later did i realize that i was at the international terminal....) i was blown away by how nice it was. and since there was no McDs...i got sushi. who knew you could get really yummy (read fancy) sushi at an airport?

we walked around san fran a bit. went to philz coffee. if you live in or near or ever plan on going to san fran EVER...go here. they do one cup at a time and have great coffee. i had, i believe, julie's ultimate. with a name like that, i really couldnt pass it up. it was a bold, dark, smooth cup of coffee. they call it their classiest coffee for their classy coffee drinkers (me, duh!). we also went up to twin peaks and got a pretty amazing view of san fran. its really a beautiful city. id like to spend more time there. we met up with a friend of ours, actually they gentleman who played rory's wingman the night he first asked me out. the three of us, plus another friend went to Toms for pizza. i wish i had taken a picture of it. it was a bed of arugula on top of a pizza covered in Parm shavings. OH MY GOODNESS. it was so good. this may have tied for the best meal on my trip.
friday: we woke up at 7am to get to the airport to rent our car that we were going to drive down highway 1. albeit it was early, but i was still on east coast time, so when that alarm chimed, i easily got out of bed and into the shower. grant, rory's friend that we were staying with, had an orange tree in his front yard. AN ORANGE TREE, PEOPLE. i know, nothing unusual for ca folks, but it was pretty sweet. i picked two. and ate them on the road.

they were not as ripe as i was hoping. the smell was tastier than the bite. oh well. next time, maybe? 
we decided to get the heck outta the san fran area before we pulled off to eat breakfast, smart move on our part. i think we would have sat in rush hour morning traffic or gotten stuck in the daily morning commute someplace. in dc people used to drive 40+ minutes to work - blows my mind. thats a luxury of living in nyc. we can walk and take the train. granted it may take 45 min as well, but still, you can at least lose yourself in people watching, music or a good book. or if you are super skilled, all of the above. but i digress...breakfast! yums. so we stopped at a place in santa cruz called cafe brasil. 

 best decision we made. the food was awesome.

polenta, portabellas, spinach and a poached egg. SO good. i think this was my best meal while in california, so way to go santa cruz.  (side note: i love poached eggs. i cant tell you how often i eat them. have i gone off on this yet? i think its part of the reason i wasnt posting as much. b.c i was busy and my dinners have consisted of poached eggs and spinach and a grain, like every night. so why keep telling you that? but maybe i should. if you have yet to embark on a love affair with poached eggs...i'd be happy to help.) 
then back on the road. the drive was really really nice. there were so many artichoke farms! so many. i tried to take pictures of them but they all came out blurry and not good. they are large bright green bushes with leaves that look like they might have spikes on them and the jutting out from the center of the plant are these huge stalks with artichokes on the ends. every time i saw a big one, i giggled. they made me so happy. these fields and fields of artichokes. i love to eat them. i cant wait until they are in season. i'm not lying though, i sat facing outside with the window down, pointing and giggling. it was awesome.
we stopped in monterey next. on cannery row. stienbeck, anyone? we took these pictures there:

and thats all i have for now, there's more, but times a wastin'!


xo