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Author: Livia N

Breaking News: There are a lot of little coffee shops in Boston

Thursday
Trip to Boston – was wonderful
point a: I had managed to secure a fairly cheap ticket
point b: I got a call asking me to move my 2:30 shuttle to 3:30 because I was the only person on the 2:30 one. My flight wasn’t until 5:30, so I said yes a paid half price.

So then, when I was offered a chance to upgrade for $35, I felt perfectly justified whooping with joy and calling it a bargain.

YAY! The highest class was business class, but I was in seat 2A. Yep, I had a random upgrade and *still* ended up in a window seat.

We flew over populated areas low enough (or on a cloudless enough day) that I could watch all the pretty lights the whole way.

We got to chose assorted pretzels and chips from a little basket, and drink orders were taken while we were still taxiing on the runway.

AND there was a little wall between my seat and the person next to me, so there was no physical contact… with the added bonus of having the seat belt fit without me having to ask for an extender.

Friday
I was dropped off at Central Square because it was on my brother-in-law’s way to work, and then I walked to Harvard Square.

On the way, I had breakfast at Dado Tea. The tea was excellent, and they had lovely benches where I could sit by a fountain and be warmed by the sunlight filtering through the window glass. The scone, however, was spongy and tasteless and not particularly scone-like at all.

Stopping into a lovely used book store that smelled like fresh wood, I ended up with not only the couple maps I had wanted, but also a random old science fiction paperback as well.

I walked by 2-4 gaming stores. I tell ya, Boston has more gaming stores and comic book stores than any other city I have ever been in (that I have noticed).

I wandered around and looked in fancy stores with stuff I didn’t need and just treated it all as entertainment. There was a Tibetan store that had some lovely jewelry that was affordable, but I couldn’t quite justify buying any of it as I haven’t worn any jewelry at all in several years.

At the Harvard Book Store, I found an even better map (which I have already torn and might need to go back to get another) and a remaindered copy of a Josephine Tey book I hadn’t read yet.

Randomly walking around the square, I ran into someone I had known from college. So we’ll make plans to meet up for lunch/tea sometime next week.

By the time I decided to sit down a bit and stop walking for a while, I went looking for another good teashop. The first place that looked promising was a Peet’s Coffee, but while I will admit that it seemed a haven for coffee lovers, it was too busy, too crowded, and way too coffee-ish for me to stay. Then I ended up at Burdick’s – they had a nice tea selection, but looking around a bit let me know that what I clearly wanted way hot chocolate, instead. OH, man – incredible hot chocolate. It was a bit more bitter than I could take, but each table had a sugar bowl – and when I sprinkled sugar on top, the hot chocolate was so thick and luscious that the sugar didn’t even fall through to the bottom – just floated and liquidised on top… and then sipping it would coat my tongue in bitter liquid, and my upper lip would have sugar crystals – amazing.

Walked around a bit more, listened to buskers, and went home. Buses are oddly confusing because some stops have route maps, some just have route numbers, and others just have a signpost with a T telling you that some bus might stop there some time, but specifics are for wimps. 🙂 All in all, I think I walked 4-5 miles. And, for all you hear about Boston drivers, everyone was surprisingly friendly to the pedestrians. I had drivers stop and wave me to cross even if I were still completely on the sidewalk and just looking vaguely interested in crossing that street. Huh.

Saturday
I met RubyNye! Sexy, lovely woman! We spent a lot of time talking about her insane commitments to writing some 8 stories in a few months. And I’m not telling you anything about them because most of them were for secret exchanges – but I can say that they all sound fairly brilliant.

We started out at the Someday Cafe, which is everything I think a coffee/tea shop should be (lots of choices in loose leaf tea, eclectic comfy furniture, friendly banter behind the counter, and music just a touch louder than a restaurant). Then dinner at some diner-type place in Harvard Square with green in the name. And then back to Davis Square for more tea at the Diesel Cafe, which was larger and trendier – with sharp edges, an industrial feel, and lots of game (board games and pool tables)… the scenery might have been better at Diesel, but I hold to the first cafe as the epitome of a comfy teahouse.

And we made plans to get together again on Wednesday… possibly for a Harry Potter viewing.

So my family – haven’t seen too much of them, but we are getting on well. The plan is to spend all day today bonding.

Yay – bread products

In ten minutes there will be freshly baked bread coming out of my oven – and then there will be freshly roasted eggplants and fresh tomatoes going inside.

Yeah, so the bread came in a tube – shuttup.

ETA: MMMMmmmm… tasty sammich all gone.

****
Bad news: No sooner have a gotten rid of the squirrels than I find I have mice.

Good News: My silly, fluffy thinks-she’s-a-person cat *caught* a mouse. Of all the cats my family has had, she’s the first to ever catch a mouse. I’ve been coddling her all day and calling her a mighty hunter.

Okay, so she didn’t kill it, but she got it worn down and paralysed with fear, so it was easy for me to trap it. YAY!

***

I have no idea how I am going to pack for a nine day trip in my suitcase – I’ve managed seven days, but that was a bit of a stretch… and I wasn’t seeing anyone I knew.

Greekish Eggplant

This was a thought experiment. I can’t remember whether I actually made this.

Greek-ish Eggplant (not served at moot)

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants, trimmed, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt
2 medium-size red bell peppers
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 canned tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

(maybe olives, but in a removable format)

Dice eggplant.

Roast peppers. Peel and seed peppers; cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips and set aside.

Heat 6 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until light golden, about 10 minutes. Mix in garlic. Add eggplant, tomatoes, half of parsley, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon pepper, sugar, oregano, and cumin. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add bell peppers and olives; cook uncovered 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Chill. Rewarm before continuing.)

Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Baigan Bhartha

Pretty sure this if from Indian Epicure: Classic Recipes from North India by Meera Taneja, but my cat isn’t letting me up to check.

Ingredients:
2 large round aubergines
1/2 lb onions
1 inch root ginger, chopped fine
1t cumin seed
1t salt
1/2t chilli powder
1 green chilli, chopped fine
1lb fresh or canned tomatoes
2-3T oil

Scorch the aubergines under the grill until the skin has charred. Set aside to cool. Peel off the charred skin and chop the aubergines. Chop the onions finely, heat the oil in a deep frying pan, add the onions, green chilli, ginger, cumin seeds and chilli powder and fry until the onions are light brown. Add the aubergines and tomatoes. Cook slowly, stirring frequently. The aubergines will absorb the oil from the onions, so cook until the aubergine, tomato and onion mixture releases the oil slightly – about 15 minutes. Serve very hot. [also good with some yogurt mixed in at the very end.]

Gluten free Hors d’oeuvres

I think these were all based on recipes from Finger Food by Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen, but I have a cat lying on my arms, so I’m not getting up to check.

Smoked Salmon Nests on Wild Rice Pancakes

Ingredients:
8oz smoked salmon
3-4T creamed horseradish sauce
fresh chives or dill to garnish

1/2c rice flour
salt & white pepper
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4c milk
1 1/3c cooked wild rice (we’ll probably use red rice instead)
2T chopped chives or dill
vegetable oil for frying

Mix up patties, adding the rice after everything else is smooth. Fry. Top with yumminess.

~*~

Straw Potato Cakes with Caramelized Apple

Ingredients
1T butter
1-2 eating apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1t lemon juice
2t sugar
pinch cinnamon
1/4c thick sour cream

oil for frying
1/2 small onion, finely chopped or grated
2 baking sweet potatoes
salt
finely ground black pepper
flat leaf parsley to garnish

cook apples in butter, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon – set aside.

grate potatoes onto a towel and squeeze dry. Mix in a bowl with onions – season with salt & pepper. [Do other latkes recipes have something binding them together???] Drop Tabelspoonfuls into hot oil, and press flat while cooking.

top with apples and sour cream.

~*~

Smoked Trout in Cucumber Cups

This is the recipe, but I think of it more as a guideline

Mix together in a big bowl:
1/2c cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, chopped
1-2T chopped fresh dill or parsley
1t horseradish sauce
8oz smoked trout fillets, flaked
2-4T heavy cream
salt
cayenne pepper to taste

Make cucumber cups. Fill them.

Eat.

~*~

These recipes below are not from the above-mentioned cookbook

Spinachy Cream Cheese Goodness on corn fritters

Mix together:
16 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dill weed
8 ounces bacon — chopped
1 cup onion — chopped
1/2 package fresh spinach — chopped (Hah! Possibly frozen)
1 cup cheddar cheese — shredded

Corn Fritters

~*~

Crab Dip Wot Does Not SuXXor … recipe found by [Ex – name redacted]

1 medium leek (white part only)
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup drained canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach
1 pound Brie
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Riesling or other medium-dry white wine
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste

Accompaniment: toasted thin baguette slices

Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly oil an 11-inch gratin or other shallow baking dish (about 6-cup).

Trim and finely chop leek. In a large bowl of water wash leek well and lift from water into a large sieve to drain. Finely chop onion. Rinse and finely chop artichoke hearts. Squeeze dry and finely chop spinach. Discard rind from Brie and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a heavy skillet cook leek, onion, and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden and stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Add wine and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Add Brie, stirring until it just begins to melt. Remove skillet from heat and stir herbs into mixture.

Pick over crab meat. In a large bowl stir together crab meat, mustard, Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste and stir in cheese mixture. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish and bake in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.