Follow the yellow brick road

Some random thoughts:

*What do you do when you see someone wearing the same dress as you at a wedding? Duck and cover vs. wear it proud? It's gotta be one of the most embarrassing things. I guess it may be different for guys. Is it weird to wear the same tie as another guy?

*Why are some people so stingy with letting you into their lane when driving? I don't understand. I mean, I don't think you should just let everyone pass in front of you, but at least let one car in. It's not going to save you that much time to rush forward and not let that poor car whose turn signal has been on for the past 5 minutes (usually me) get in front of you. And it might just save you from an accident (sometimes it's dangerous to just stop on the road). I think if everyone would just give a little, it would make the world a happier place. Is it just simply greed that keeps people from doing this? I never knew I could have such road rage until I started driving in NJ. NJ roads are CRAZY.

*What color would you paint your walls? I'm having the toughest time choosing. When I was a kid, I thought it'd be fun to paint all my bedroom walls with glow-in-the-dark paint. I always wondered what that would've turned out like. Maybe this is the time.

I never really

I never really get nervous when meeting famous people but for some reason I did with Orangette girl Molly Wizenberg. I had NO IDEA what to say (uhh...I really like your writing....ummm yeah. *blank stare*). Argh, why??

A good thing

Totonno's Pizzeria in Brooklyn caused some serious concerns amongst pizza fanatics when it had a fire this weekend (yes, they will be coming back). T was google-ing the news and was surprised to find that this blog used his photo! I tell ya, they know a good thing when they see one. Isn't he great? You can see more photos here and here. Now if only he would believe me...

A homemade life indeed

I know I've talked before about this Orangette food blog, but she came out with a book recently and I want to put in a plug for it. There's something about her writing that makes it stick out from other chefs. Her recipes are good, but the writing that precedes each is personal and riveting. Her book has no flashy photography, but by the weaving together of her intimate words, she pulls you into her kitchen, and into her life. Some say it reads like fiction. For those in the NYC area, she will be at 2 book signings in the city this week on the evenings of 3/18 and 3/19. And numerous other cities across America. See here for more information.

One of her recipes that we've recently enjoyed. I never knew vegetables could taste so good.


Broccoli Soup with Lemon-Chive Cream

"I like this “cream” best when made with sour cream, but I’ve also used plain whole-milk yogurt, and it’s very good that way too. If you do use yogurt, keep in mind that it has less fat than sour cream, so you’ll probably need to add some olive oil to balance the acidity of the lemon. (Or just use less lemon!) I also found that the yogurt-based “cream” needed a pinch of sugar to balance it.

Oh, and should you have some of the sour cream mixture left over, it makes a great dip for potato chips.

For the soup:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, sliced
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ½ lb. broccoli, both crowns and stems, trimmed and coarsely chopped
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 rind (about 2 inches square) from a piece of Parmesan cheese
¾ tsp. kosher salt, or less if your broth is well salted

For the sour cream:
1 cup sour cream (not low-fat or nonfat)
2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, very thinly sliced
¼ cup minced chives
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pressed or minced garlic

In a small stockpot or Dutch oven, warm the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute. Add the broccoli, stock, Parmesan rind, and salt, and stir to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.

While the soup cooks, prepare the cream. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, scallions, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, salt, and garlic, mixing until fully combined. Taste, and adjust as necessary.

To finish the soup, remove the Parmesan rind. Using a blender and working in small batches – when puréeing hot liquids, never fill the blender more than one-third full – purée until very smooth. (Alternatively, purée it in the pot with an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot, add a few dollops of the cream mixture – I add about 1/3 cup – and stir to incorporate. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. If needed, rewarm the soup gently over low heat.

Serve the soup with a spoonful or two of the remaining cream on top.

Yield: 4-6 servings

A night out

T & I have been wanting to try out Artichoke Basillle's Pizza for quite some time now. Their pizza has received rave reviews, and even been likened to the famous Di Fara's pizza. Well, we had to see for ourselves. All in all, pretty tasty. And considering you don't have to wait over an hour for the pizza (the wait was approximately 20 minutes) and venture far out into Brooklyn (it's on 14th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave.), we might find ourselves here more often. Check it out...

The storefront. Easy to miss so keep an eye out. It's a tiny little joint. Hole in the wall.

I love this chandelier. Somebody buy me one please.

The Sicilian. My favorite. Similar to DiFara's but crunchier.

Crab slice

Margherita slice

Spinach & Artichoke slice.

We tried stopping by Momofuku's Milk Bar around the corner for their chess pie, but sadly it was closed for a private party. One of these days...

Instead we capped off the night with Veniero's.

(our efforts to be creative taking pictures of both of us)

This great gift

A wise friend with wise words once remarked how people so often look to marriage to make them happy, when the real goal is to make them holy. And life too, is to make us holy. It's so easy to get these two pursuits mixed up in my head when the mass media portrays love, marriage, and all things romance as some fulfillment of happiness.

Marriage is great. It's a wonder that is a great mystery and I am so thankful for it. Every now and then I pause and am amazed that God has instituted such a great thing as marriage. But it seems easy to get disappointed or sidetracked because people (me included) mistake it as the means to happiness, instead of holiness. Isn't life's purpose that but the glorification of God?