Site Title

recent posts

about

Where I’ve Been

Lest you think I have been sitting around on my hands all week or have simply evaporated off this earth, I wanted to let you know that I am, in fact, still alive, and quite well, even. However, what concerns my blog cooking (and yes, I do call it that sometimes), it has been an abysmal week. I made no less than three (3!) recipes only to have them all be rather middling to faintly offensive and I simply haven’t had the stomach to tell you about them.

My mother was in town and when I wasn’t trying on wedding dresses and attempting not to dissolve in a fit of giggles at seeing myself in some floor-length (with train!) gown, I was spending an alarming amount of time here and here and oh, what the hell, here. I can’t seem to think about anything – anything – else and no amount of Concord grape flat bread, parsnip soup with mustard or curried fish will change that until after next Tuesday.

On the plus side, my father brought a bag of basmati rice, chana dal and tamarind paste when he came to visit us this weekend and I’m anticipating lots of good things to come out of those three new additions to our kitchen cabinets. Particularly with regards to the last two, do you have any recipes you’d like to tell me about?

So that’s the state of things right now: my cuticles, not to mention my nerves, are in shambles thanks to the election, I’m trying to distract myself with Indian lentils to no great success, I am definitely not wearing a floor-length gown to my wedding, I’m toying with the madness that is committing to posting every day in November (yay or nay, readers?) and I have no recipe to give you tonight. Forgive me! I’m agitating for a new world next week.

Posted in

39 responses to “Where I’ve Been”

  1. Rahel Avatar
    Rahel

    Having just been through it, call if you want wedding dress advice. No good recommendations on the lentils, but if you come up with something yummy let us know — I need more lentil options in my new vegetarian marriage.

    Like

    Reply
  2. jen Avatar
    jen

    I have those three things in my cupboards, too. I can’t wait for you to inspire me. And on the lack of recipe, good for you. As a sister food blogger, I commend the “rambling posts.”

    Like

    Reply
  3. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    I have elecgtion obsession too. I thought I was bad during the primaries but that was nothing compared to my level of obsession now. FiveThirtyEight is a site I’m unfamiliar with but how interesting. Another distraction!
    I (selfishly) would like you to do NaBloPoMo. And I can’t wait to hear more about your wedding gown — good for you not doing the floor length thing too.

    Like

    Reply
  4. Victoria Avatar
    Victoria

    Maybe I missed this, but are you sharing what month the wedding is?

    Like

    Reply
  5. Oana Avatar
    Oana

    Best chicken + tamarind recipe ever: Vij’s Yogurt and Tamarind Grilled Chicken http://www.recipezaar.com/188076. Highly recommend grilling this outdoors.

    Like

    Reply
  6. Nabeela Avatar
    Nabeela

    Make a dal soured with tamarind.
    Cook 1 cup chana with 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp turmeric, green chili(if you’re up for it), grated ginger and garlic, salt and some tamarind paste. Cook till the dal is mushy. In a speratae small pan(with lid), heat 2-4 tbsp oil and splutter some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves(if you cancome across it) or use some finely sliced shallots. Add this tempered oil to the dal and eat with rice.

    Like

    Reply
  7. evy Avatar
    evy

    Lentils are so universal. I was just talking to my mother-in-law about them. She is in her 90s and was raised in Mexico- has been telling me she is so craving lentils- “lentajes” in Spanish- because they remind her of her mother who cooked them frequently when she was a little girl. She has not had them in a long time. She says you cook them just as you cook a pot of Mexican style “frijoles”- beans- with the same spices- and that lentajes are so “saludable” – so good for you.
    I am visiting her this weekend and we are making a pot of lentajes.

    Like

    Reply
  8. Cooking Recipe Avatar
    Cooking Recipe

    Recipe searched, low fat recipes for food and cooking. http://www.appetizer.co.za/

    Like

    Reply
  9. Honeybee Avatar
    Honeybee

    I loved choosing the dress. In fact, I’d do it all over again. I went all by myself in order not to have my judgment clouded by my mother’s and sister’s facial expressions as I’d walk out of the dressing room. Have fun!

    Like

    Reply
  10. Blushing Hostess Avatar
    Blushing Hostess

    Don’t post everyday at this wonderful time in your life. So many other exciting, fleeting, once in a lifetime things around you now, don’t miss any of them on my account! Congratulations, The Hostess

    Like

    Reply
  11. Liana Avatar
    Liana

    FiveThirtyEight is my absolute favorite right now. I read it the instant a new post pops up in my Google Reader. It’s addicting just reading someone who’s not only sharp and insightful but who also has a full command of all the important data to back himself up. I even like the On the Road stuff. I’ve also been reading a lot of Yglesias and Ambinder and TPM, but they do tend to repeat each other, while Nate always comes up with something new.
    Good luck with the dress hunt. I ended up wearing a knee-length black velvet skirt with big white floral appliqués and a 50s-style off-white sweater. Go with what you feel like!

    Like

    Reply
  12. Lisa (Homesick Texan) Avatar
    Lisa (Homesick Texan)

    Just one more week…and then (hopefully) we can breathe easily again.

    Like

    Reply
  13. sara Avatar
    sara

    I am in the middle of wedding madness, too. If you think the dress is bad, wait until you do the wedding list.
    If your nerves can take it, you should the writing everyday thing Nov. You had some great posts last year.

    Like

    Reply
  14. maggie Avatar
    maggie

    To be honest, I hated shopping for a wedding dress. I did it as quickly as possible, honestly. And it will be fine. It will be such a happy and lovely occasion no matter what you wear!!!
    I hear you on the election obsession—all these people are talking about halloween costumes but I know I won’t be able to see straight till it’s over.
    For what it’s worth, my fiance is running some kind of mathematical simulation that predicts the electoral college…
    http://politicalsimulation.blogspot.com

    Like

    Reply
  15. Carishma Avatar
    Carishma

    I hear you about the elections – I seem to have a constantly racing heart!
    I like several of the recipes at this blog: http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/
    You could even experiment with one of the toor dal or masoor dal recipes but use channa dal instead. Oh, and I use a pressure cooker for lentils – so much quicker.
    Have fun trying on dresses!

    Like

    Reply
  16. Biz Avatar
    Biz

    I thankfully married my husband on a beach in Naples, Florida. Since we were getting married in December, I was able to find a lovely sun dress at Filene’s basement at 90% off, which came to a whole total of $19!
    I was never one that dreamt about a huge wedding. It was my mom, my parents-in-law, my step-son and my daughter only in attendance. Our kids were best man and maid of honor.
    It was great!

    Like

    Reply
  17. MoreCheese Avatar
    MoreCheese

    First — I just cast my absentee ballot this morning and it has gone a GREAT way towards reducing my election anxiety. Perhaps you can do the same!
    Second — I don’t know if you ever eat canned beans, but one of my favorite go-to hearty, satisfying, super-easy meals is: pop open a can of organic lentils and dump it over some couscous. Drizzle with olive oil and a tiny bit of minced garlic or garlic powder. Its an instant meal and its really delicious.
    Third — maybe this should have been first. I just posted on my blog about your stuffed tomatoes recipe. I haven’t figured out how to do trackbacks yet, but you can see the post at morecheese.typepad.com. Thanks for the recipe!!! I LOVE it!

    Like

    Reply
  18. Tracy Avatar
    Tracy

    I’ll never forget planning our wedding. I’m sure whatever dress you go with will be good, just go with what you feel right in. And what sara said — the guest list is the worst part. Try to have fun with it all, you’ll look back and smile, I promise.

    Like

    Reply
  19. Dawn in CA Avatar
    Dawn in CA

    I’ve been lurking for a while, but this may be my first time posting. Lovely site! I especially enjoy your touching posts about your trips to Italy. My great-grandparents were Italian immigrants, and we are planning a trip there next September for my sister’s wedding.
    Election? Oh yeah, it’s a challenge to focus on work with all the internet intel at my fingertips. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for me.
    As for posting every day in Nov., I’d rather see fewer posts of substance than daily posts that are rushed off. 🙂 Especially when you have the electoral college and wedding dresses to worry about!

    Like

    Reply
  20. Susmita Avatar
    Susmita

    At least Seattle is not the only one with election nerves. I have been a total wreck off late Just a handful of days left to go……have fun with the chana dal. I’ll post a dal recipe this week if you want to take a look.

    Like

    Reply
  21. My First Kitchen Avatar
    My First Kitchen

    I saw the thing for blogging every day in November, and it seriously scared me. That’s a lot to commit to, and I know my limits. Props to you if you can pull it off. 🙂 I just added tamarind paste to my own kitchen and haven’t used it for anything other than pad Thai, but it was definitely a nice addition. Looking forward to reading what you do with it.

    Like

    Reply
  22. Jordanna Avatar
    Jordanna

    Election and wedding mania together is quite a heady combo! There is a great Claudia Roden lamb stew that uses tamarind paste, and it makes a huge amount if you are feeding a crowd. I think it’s in The Book of Jewish Food.

    Like

    Reply
  23. Ellie from Kitchen Caravan Avatar
    Ellie from Kitchen Caravan

    I too, am in the midst of the election frenzy and can’t stop looking at fivethirtyeight! As I anxiously await the results, I have high hopes for a new beginning.
    As far as the tamarind goes:
    Sophia experimented with squash poached in tea last fall. See her comments here:
    http://www.kitchencaravan.com/blog/sophia/entry/butternut-squash-poached-tea
    Might be interesting to try using the tamarind paste this way.
    Enjoy!

    Like

    Reply
  24. Katherine Avatar
    Katherine

    Post every day. It’ll take your mind off the election. God forbid the election should take a terrible turn and go the other way you’ll need something to think about besides the end of days! We’ll all need a little daily joy. Not that that is going to happen. Your daily posts in November will just end up being a tasty celebration of new found energy and a sigh of relief that things might just be alright.

    Like

    Reply
  25. kim Avatar
    kim

    Congratulations on your engagement! Robert Sinsky is a favorite winery. Loved your SF post.
    Chana dal – I have it cooking on the stove for the second time tonight. Not sure if I was supposed to soak them first but the buggers are not softening and it’s been hours. Even left the house for two hours forgetting that they were there on the stove simmering and they are still not soft! I tried to make a kind of curry stew with collard greens, tomato and onion but can’t get past the muddy texture of the lentils.
    Curious to hear what you do.

    Like

    Reply
  26. Mama JJ Avatar
    Mama JJ

    Oh, I am totally there with you—it is enough to break anyone’s nerves, no matter how tough. I spent all day outside in the blustery cold yesterday with nine children (not all of them mine, and one of which was vomiting—SHE was mine) and I got to see The Man and hear him talk. Now I’m really tense. I’ll post about the day once I figure out how to formulate my thoughts in a semi-coherent manner…
    I vote for you to write every day, as long as that doesn’t make you go too nutty. This is a great blog!
    -JJ

    Like

    Reply
  27. Anali Avatar
    Anali

    The election is stressing me out too! I’m so ready for change, but so nervous too. The stress is making me bake more though, which is good for blogging. ; )
    Oh and doing the NaBloPoMo last November was just too much for me. I did post every day, but I really didn’t want to by the end of the month. It was kind of fun at the beginning though.

    Like

    Reply
  28. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Try not to stress too much about the wedding. I had dreams about it at first, that was bad. But once you knock stuff off the list (site, dress, photographer, etc.) the stress diminishes. I recommend reading wedding magazines just to laugh at how crazy some people get and promise yourself that you’ll never be that person.

    Like

    Reply
  29. Ander Avatar
    Ander

    Reading a post everyday would be glorious for me, even if it is absent of a recipe or a drool-inducing food photo. However, I do agree with Blushing Hostess–if it is not glorious for you, you should rather opt for enjoying the pre-wedding excitement and madness!

    Like

    Reply
  30. Paolo Avatar
    Paolo

    Hi Luisa, I’ve been following your blog for a while here in Dublin, Ireland and it’s been a weekly highlight, so the idea of it being daily (even if only for November) is salivating. Regardless of there always being a recipe, your writing is a pleasure to read and if I have to see that face of yours in the top left corner every day, well so be it. It’s hardly taxing!
    Anyway, keep on keeping on. Incidentally, I wonder what you would cook for Obama if you were having him over for dinner on election night…

    Like

    Reply
  31. Biba Avatar
    Biba

    I looove your blog, and while I would be thrilled to see new posts every day next month, I’ll be happy as long as you don’t shut it down. Ever.
    I just bought tamarind paste and channa dal because I saw a recipe on the kitchn for green tomato and lentil stew. It’s supposed to have yellow split peas, but I decided I don’t like those and got channa dal instead. I have bowls of green tomatoes from my garden and wanted to use them up. The recipe also calls for sambal, which I haven’t found yet.
    I’d love to see what you come up with.

    Like

    Reply
  32. Gemma Avatar
    Gemma

    Well, if I’m election obsessed from across the Atlantic it stands to reason that all the people who can actually vote would be even more so! Good luck with the wedding planning (I’m never seen myself in a floor length gown either but maybe that’ll all change when I get a proposal and go all bridezilla…). As for NaBloPoMo, I tried and failed pathetically last year so have just signed up to do it again even if some days it ends up as just a few words or a photo so go with what your gut is telling you.

    Like

    Reply
  33. miche Avatar
    miche

    hullo luisa!
    absolutely love your blog, not just the food but how you’re willing to be vunerable with us, your loyal readers.
    here’s a gorgeous recipe for a malaysian assam fish which uses tamarind paste. The full blend of sweet, sour and spicy, with steaming bowl of basmati rice is TO DIE FOR 🙂
    http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/01/recipe-assam-pedas-fish.html

    Like

    Reply
  34. Juree Avatar
    Juree

    Hi! I know how you feel– I am even having dreams about the candidates. The other night I was consoling Michelle Obama regarding all the changes that her children will go through once they live in the White House. Let’s hope it was a premonition.
    As for lentils, I have just recently had a lentil epiphany– I am not sure why this escaped me, but normally when I made dal, I would just chop the onions and garlic and saute with the spices before adding the lentils. Last time, I was reading a recipe that required creating an onion paste (i.e. pureeing the onions and garlic in a blender/cuisnart) before adding that to the canola oil and toasted spices. Making the paste and toasting the spices made all the difference– I am going to ditch my addiction to trader joe’s indian packs and cook dal all the time now!

    Like

    Reply
  35. chad martin Avatar
    chad martin

    What recipes? I couldn’t stop looking at your beautiful face.

    Like

    Reply
  36. Leah Avatar
    Leah

    If you can wait til you get to Berlin to buy your wedding dress in December, there is a gorgeous shop on my street
    http://www.annewolf.de which has a pretty big selection of simple, fun dresses. I go out of my way to walk by the window because it’s so pretty. Looking forward to seeing you in any case.

    Like

    Reply
  37. dina l Avatar
    dina l

    Tamarind is an ingredients that I have been working on! here is one very easy idea.
    Sinigang is a refreshing Philippine sour soup. Eight years ago on a 2-week visit to the Philippines I fell in love with fish sinigang (there are also chicken and meat varieties.) Every kitchen has a different version – I think that sinigang’s contents really depend on what is freshest in the market and what ingredients give the cook inspiration.
    The broth is sour – soured with tamarind and/or lime (instead of the local citrus) and with or without dashes of the Philippine fish paste. Because the soup is so popular, Knorr makes sinigang bouillon cubes in the Philippines.
    The broth is boiled with chunks of a meaty white fish – bangus or milkfish in the Philippines – but tilapia, halibut or grouper are possibilities. I’ve even done it with salmon. The hot soup then becomes home to some sort of assortment of greens like spinach/kale/bok choy, little bits of eggplant, radish and/or green beans. A dash of hot pepper slices finishes it off.
    Play around and find something you like. Here is a version for 4.
    • 1/2 cup tamarind paste
    • 6 cups water
    • 4 green onions (sliced diagonally) or onion or leek
    • 3 greenish tomatoes (sourish), cut into chunks
    • Fish bones, head and tail for the broth (if you got them)
    • 3 lbs. of fish – in chunks
    • 3/4 cup sliced radish (white – or red)
    • 2 mini eggplants (sliced thin diagonally)
    • 2 tomatoes – cut into chunks
    • 1 small bok choy, or bunch of spinach or kale – sliced
    • 1 sliced green chili pepper (optional)
    • If you can get it – 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (Philippine style)
    • Juice of half a lime – to taste
    • Salt – to taste
    In a pot, mix the tamarind paste and with a small amount of water. Once thinned, add the rest of the water. If you have the fish bones, head and tail this is their entry!! Bring to a boil. Skim if necessary. Add the green tomato chunks and the green onions. Cook for about 20 minutes. Strain out the fish bones to get a clear broth.
    Add the fish chunks and the radishes and tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Throw in the spinach or bok choy and the green chili pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes.
    Add the lime and salt.
    Serve in bowls with a side of rice (No respectable Philippine meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner – would be served without rice.)
    Another wonderful sour-ish Philippine twist was making a salad of tomatoes, onions and cucumbers with sliced or cubed green mangoes. Delicious!

    Like

    Reply
  38. jm Avatar
    jm

    I am so happy to see another food blogger talking about Indian food, as I am in the midst of an obsession with the stuff. Most recently I made Dhaba ka Dal from this blog: http://thefoodweeat.typepad.com/the_food_we_eat/2008/09/dal-makhani.html
    And I’ve really come to enjoy Manjula’s site. Her cooking videos at first strike you as painfully amateurish but then you suddenly feel like you’re in your long lost Indian grandma’s kitchen and it’s just so lovely. If you peruse her site you will find ideas for both the chana dal and tamarind. http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/04/18/dal-makhani/
    And a final note. I nearly gave up on finding some of the ingredients that many Indian recipes call for…then I found http://www.ishopindian.com/shop/home.php and all my worries were over. The shipping cost isn’t very economical unless you buy a good amount of stuff, but you can’t go wrong loading up on the papadam. No, siree. The premade dishes aren’t bad, either, for those days you just don’t feel like cooking at all.
    Anyway, love the site, and no I am not a paid sponsor of any of those sites I linked. heck, I wish I were, given how much time I spend reading them!

    Like

    Reply
  39. knorr philippines Avatar
    knorr philippines

    Can’t wait to read another recipe from you Chef.
    ~Ashley~

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Blushing Hostess Cancel reply