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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

my new show!

i feel like a pointer sister because i am SO excited!  this is my new show, lovely people.  and i would love for you all to bring your friends and come on down.  tickets are now on sale so go right now and get them. go ahead.  just click on the link at the bottom of the post and then we'll meet right back here tomorrow.  ciao!


Come See B*tch:
January 5-29 @ 7:00PM

Monday, November 7, 2011

my weekend (before last)

i'm trying to be more productive. josh was away for a few days about a week ago and i kept myself busy. had dinner and drinks with a dear friend, went to an art opening of another dear friend, and tried getting to bed at a reasonable hour. josh and i have a tendency to stay up way too late every night which makes for a lazy me on the weekends. not good. so I took advantage of being alone and got myself in bed before midnight. that's a feat!

by the time josh got back on friday i was ready to get things done. we did this just in time for halloween:

{snoopy and lucy}

super cute, right? snoopy and lucy. i love it. i also stained my cheap IKEA frame. josh found this in a book a while back and i've been meaning to frame it. done.

{framed book dedication}

saturday night was full of drinking manhattans and watching a sort of scary movie. i'm a baby, but i agree to watch one scary movie per year. it's a big deal. and sunday was football. both my team and josh's team lost so we drowned our sorrows in drinks and dinner at Henry Public. our favorite spot.

{captain lawrence & blanc de blanc}

then we did this and got ready for some serious trick or treaters.

{halloween sugar cookies}

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

let's try this again

it's been so long, people.  there's been so much going on and blah, blah, blah... excuses, excuses, excuses...  i'm here though.  and i shall try harder.  part of my problem is i want a new camera.  my digital is old and i don't like the pics it takes and i use my iphone, but they don't always come out how i want them.  and i really want to share pictures of food which the camera phone just does not capture.  anyway, i'm whining.  you get the point though, right?

so, i thought i'd share a couple of happy things with you to get us back in the bloggin' mood.  enjoy!

{pumpkins waiting to be carved}



{the droopy from court street grocers}

Monday, September 19, 2011

i'm so excited!

seriously, you guys!  i feel like a pointer sister!  my favorite band of all time, radiohead, just announced 2 surprise shows for next weekend.  omigoodness!  tix go on sale monday and i cannot wait.  i have 4 people on ticket duty for that morning.  i NEED this, people.  NEED is not an understatement at all!  so, this will be pretty much the only thing i obsess over this week.  ugh!  think good thoughts, okay?

anyway, i have so much stuff happening this week.  auditions, san gennaro fest, and i need to start working on a stutter for my next play.  i'm a bit freaked out by that last task.  in a few days i will start to obsess on how i can't possibly do a stutter without it seeming fake and i will then convince myself that they have hired the wrong gal for this one.  i'm trying to calm myself by thinking of how much time i have to do this. it's a good chunk so i have many days and nights to study.  okay, we're good...

sidenote: you will all be proud of me.  i have started cleaning my closet.  yay, for organization!  it now looks like less of a pit.  i have a bag of giveaway clothes and two piles of summer clothes to store.  next stop is cleaning out the dresser and then onto ikea for some cheap storage cubbies.  this will get done.

i leave you with this pic of boo radley.  because she's cute and my spastic self can't concentrate on food or cooking for anything right now.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

fall is here

and i am very happy about it!  we have a cold front coming thru and i am loving every minute of it.  i love the crispness in the air, the smell of a fire roaring in the fireplace, and the food.  sweet baby j, i love the food.  it actually got pretty darn cold today and i felt that i needed a light jacket.  wha?!  bring it.

so, it got me in the mood.


fall beer is here.  my fave is the Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head.  it's an unbelievable beer that just gets me in the mood for the season.  tonight was my first one and i got all giddy.  josh chose their Raison D'Etre.  another tasty delight.  for dinner i made classic cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato and red pepper soup.  the windows are open and college football is on the tv.  it is fall, my friends.


now, i know once winter comes i'll be complaining that i'm way too cold.  but i'll enjoy this time right now.  it's brief and beautiful and i'll love every day of it.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

my tuesday list

i need lists.  lots of lists.  i write everything down.  i need to.  my mind normally races 1000 miles a minute and i forget everything.  for realz.  so, my tuesday list was to hit up rebounding class, make an awesome dinner, clean up a bit around the apartment, and start this mess:


omg, you guys!  that is my closet.  me.  i own that mess.  how did that happen?  i even took an ugly flash pic so you could have the full idea of what i'm dealing with.  so, i've told you all about our small apartment.  it's small, but compact (props to mike leigh).  we each have one closet.  or wardrobe.  we do not have any other closet space in this place.  we make it work.  here's the problem.  i'm a gal that loves clothes.  i cannot tell a lie (props to george washington).  i love 'em.  and my one dresser and one tiny wardrobe does not do the trick.  i also have a storage unit where i keep seasonal clothes.  yet i still have this on my hands.  so, i've decided to share my embarrassment with you.  i feel that if i tell someone about it, let my secret out, i have to fix it.  motivation and all that.  let's see how this goes...

i also have a few more things on my list that i'll tell you about later.  but here's dinner:


turkey, cheese, bacon melt.  woop woop!  this was awesome.  another inspiration via the kitchn.  it's from Simply Scratch which is a super cool food blog that i'm excited to explore.  i used swiss cheese and some italian turkey.  i chose sourdough bread from my tuesday farmer's market. 


that bread is intense. i want another one right now.

Monday, September 12, 2011

my weekend

it was a nice one, but a tough one a times. i've lived in NYC for 13 years now and i grieve and reflect like the rest of this city and country on September 11th. this being this the 10th anniversary made for an even harder day. but I made the best of it. spent the day being good to myself and the people around me.  i hope you did the same.


this was from Jacques Torres. an ice cream sandwich about the size of my head. worth it though. i didn't even come close to finishing, but i tried. goodness, i tried.  it was eaten in the park right under the manhattan bridge.  one of my favorite spots in BK.

i got some great clothes at Beacon's Closet in park slope. had a beer at Union Hall with kerry. watched Birdemic. i do not suggest doing so. although, with some beers and the right company it might be worth your while. please note: drinks and friends are a MUST for this one. trust me.

and the weekend ended with dinner at Frankies 457. it was fantastic as always. after a long walk, some thinking, and knowing a bit of heaviness still hung it was nice to sit down for some Italian comfort.



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

what is wrong with me?

guys, i am so lazy.  seriously.  i have all these dreams and fantasies where i spend my days and nights by baking and cooking and getting the apartment into tip top shape.  i then do nothing.  ah!  to be fair to myself, we haven't been home much.  this weekend was spent in boston visiting family and friends.  it was a wicked good time.  but it did take me away from home and the apartment.  my next project is taking our dull end table and turning it into a bright addition to our living room.  first step: sanding.  gets to work, josh!

i did get these jeans though and i invite you to join me in their cuteness.


they're bright royal!  i did a bit too much shopping last week.  impulse shopping at anthro.  never a good idea.

on the cooking front: i tried making a carbonara last night.  BUST.  major bust.  i threw away the recipe because i was so angry.  i mean, it was edible.  pasta and bacon.  you're crazy if you don't eat it.  but nothing i would make again.  i'll try a different carbonara though.  i'd like it to be a nice pasta dish to add to my resume.  cacio e pepe, pomodoro, carbonara... see how that works?

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

my weekend

woah, people.  irene came and went.  just like that.  all that preparing and nada.  nothing.  zip.  it's okay though because we had a great weekend anyway.  seriously.  it was actually fun.  the subways shut down and we all had to pretty much stay put.  bring on the bk party!

we started by hitting up the grocery store on friday night to get food in case of a sustained blackout.  it was a s*$!show and we got tons of junk food.  brownies?  yep.  banana bread?  yep.  coffee cake? yep!  and animal crackers (which josh thought i was crazy for getting.  yes, that's crazy.  not banana bread and coffee cake).  anyway... our friend mary came to our place sunday morning to stay with us throughout the storm.  we had a late brunch at strong place and then sat ourselves down at the bar of bar tabac.  it was a crazy party atmosphere for a saturday afternoon.  our bartender was the loveliest thing.  some more friends came to meet us and we played all day and night until the storm kicked in.  this is the one pic i got from the whole day.  what is wrong with me?!

{john and josh}

i have got to get better at the picture thing.  i'm the worst, i know.

so, this has been a weird week, but i promise more cooking, baking and fun next week.  or you could cook and bake and show me pictures.  aw yeah...

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

my weekend

ugh!  we have not had internet since saturday.  dang you, cable company which shall remain nameless!  we're back up and running now though after josh made his trip to pick up a new modem.  take that!

anyway, i did have a productive weekend.  sort of.  after a successful trip to macy's on saturday i got to work.  btw, i did pick up a new skillet for $12.99.  yes, you heard me.  $12.99.  12 inch skillet.  $12.99.  stainless steel.  you really have to love a macy's one day sale.  and i didn't even have to go to the crazy macy's in manhattan.  BK all the way!  i digress... i got home and made this:


blueberry upside down cake.  i got the recipe from Thibeault's Table.  delicious and super duper easy.  really.  i couldn't believe it.  i brought some over to my best friend kerry's house and gave some to her 3 year old.  she promptly ate a piece in about 2 minutes flat and said, "mmm... delicious, auntie gina."  so, there ya go.  i got that going for me, which is nice.

sunday was a bit of a different story.  i had so much planned on sunday, but after walking around in the humidity for all of 10 minutes i wanted my living room.  we go home, turn on the tv and see that there's a cary grant marathon on tcm.  holy awesome sauce!  we watched two movies (the philadelphia story and north by northwest.  both of which my josh had never seen!)  it was awesome and we had a great time being lazy.  and this was the icing on the cake:


that's our boo radley sleeping on the couch.  the special thing about this is that she never, ever, ever sits next to us.  she plays hard to get constantly and this came out of nowhere.  we were on cloud 9!

and to end, i'll leave you with tonight's dinner.  i got this recipe from the kitchn.  this was seriously tasty and we made two pies saving one for tomorrow.  yay!  


Friday, August 19, 2011

laziness

ok, i'm super lazy.  i admit it.  i haven't been blogging at all.  i haven't gone to the gym.  haven't cleaned much.  and haven't cooked since monday.  laaaaaazzzzy!  but, that's all going to change with the weekend. it's a new me this weekend.  or back to the old me, i guess.  whatever.  it's going to be better.  i don't know what got into me this week.  i mean, i had a lot to do.  maybe that's it.  i always had somewhere to be this week.  i saw a play which was exciting.  jerusalem.  mark rylance.  life changer.  seriously.  i can't talk about it much because i get very emotional, but it was something special.  i'm so happy to have been witness to it.  too bad it closes this sunday.  boo!  if you saw it, tell me and we'll chat the day away about it.  what else, what else... oh, i got my haircut again.  a couple of months ago i chopped my long locks off and got short locks.  i loved it.  got great compliments from friends.  i tried it again this week.  i now look like dorothy hamill.  not like there's anything wrong with dorothy hamill.  oh, except that it's not the 70s and i am not a figure skater.  i love when my hairdresser styles it, but when i do it i belong on ice.  oh wells...

and that's about it.  that was my week.  one trip to the gym, broadway, and a cut.  and here i am on a friday.  back from the gym (see?!  already making progress!), lightning storm outside, ready to drink some margaritas with my josh.  good night, if you ask me.  here are some things i'm planning on doing this weekend:

tomorrow, after buying a big skillet at the macy's one day sale (aw yeah), i'm baking this.  i then plan on going the flea.  i've only gone once this summer and i need a few more images for the wall behind our couch.  i will then spend sunday doing housework, baking these, and playing some uno.  i hope you're weekend will also be productive and FUN!

Monday, August 15, 2011

my weekend

boo for mondays!  mondays are always a bit hard.  i always feel more serious on a monday.  more determined.  and life just seems more chaotic.  especially when you come off a great weekend.

i enjoyed NY to the fullest this weekend.  so much stuff squished in and a ton of fun too!  friday started like this:
it's brooklyn bridge park.  this is the view as you enter.  hello, gorgeous, right?  it really is beautiful and it makes you giddy with love.  josh went to stinky bklyn and bought a bunch of cheese and some prosciutto and a baguette.  we took that along with a nice bottle of white argentinean wine and sat on a blanket and watched the city.  it's a perfect view of downtown manhattan, the statue of liberty, and the brooklyn bridge.  and the best part is that it's about a 15 minute walk from our place.  lucky.

saturday we went to long beach for the day with some friends.  it was so relaxing.  just an hour's drive and we are able to have fun in the sun!  the water was perfect even though i'm a bit scared to swim in the ocean (sharks, jellyfish and whatnot), but i was able to dip my toes in.  we had lunch and margaritas and took naps on the sand.  as my friend john kept saying, what a great day!

and on sunday josh and i hung around the 'hood.  we went to the carroll gardens farmer's market.  check out the tomatoes!





they looked so delicious.  i seriously love tomatoes.  my friend bill brought me a bag from his garden today and i think i polished them off in 5 minutes.  a perfect snack!  anyway, we then tried some sandwiches from smith canteen and then we did what we absolutely love to do on sundays.  we had some beers at bgh and played uno.  josh kills me at uno.  we've had the same going for over 4 years now and i am losing by over 1000 points.  i still love playing though.  and playing at this fantastic bar drinking yummy craft beers is the best.  it's a perfect way to close the weekend.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

dinner for one


josh is out with an old friend tonight which means i am home alone.  partay!  i love having josh around, don't get me wrong, but i firmly believe that time by yourself is healthy.  so, tonight i came home, put an old skirt on, blasted some radiohead and started dinner.  it's still a bit hot here so i didn't want to be over the stove for long.  i also wanted something on the lighter side since i would be dining alone.  josh is a skinny lad and i tend to cook a bit more when he's around.  he's a growing boy!  anyway, my app choice was made for me earlier today. a friend of mine has a large garden and he's always giving me stuff.  it's an awesome friendship.  he gives me food and i eat it.  it'll last forever.  today he gave me shiseido peppers.  this is the first time i've had them this season and i am back, baby!  these peppers are amazing.

see how green they are?  all you do is toss them in a hot pan with a little bit of olive oil.  let them brown on the outisde for a couple of minutes.  when browned in areas, remove from heat and put in a bowl.  sprinkle with kosher salt.

so, that was my app.  i then took the advice of my friend ben over at ben cooks everything and made some bruschetta.  chopped up some fresh plum tomatoes and let them sit with some minced garlic, torn basil, rosemary and oregano, salt and pepper and then drizzled it all with some good quality olive oil.  i put that on some nicely toasted sliced bread from a fresh baguette and topped with small slices of fresh mozzarella.  can i get a what what?!  it was just what i wanted.  i could have finished the baguette by myself, but i didn't.  i wanted to, but i didn't.

that picture is a bit blurry.  i apologize.  i was in a rush to eat and my camera was not cooperating.  i also ate in front of the tv.  stop judging me.

so now here's the bad news.  josh normally does dishes.  he's not here.  what's a gal to do?

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

recipe: poached peaches

my kitchen is a mess.  for reals.  a hot, hot mess.  as i mentioned before, we're upgrading our microwave cart and it's now in the middle of our dining room underneath a drop cloth.  it's been sanded, but it has not been fully primed yet.  once primed we will then have to let it dry and then paint it.  we're also going away this weekend to visit family and friends in boston which means i am panicking about getting this done.  not having a microwave cart in my little kitchen means i'm down major countertop space.  which means major cooking headache.  which means really grumpy gina.  not even kidding.  can you sense the anxiety?

the point of my story is... i didn't really cook tonight.  just an arugula salad and three different types of bruschetta.  it was actually yummy.  we had a tomato, a pesto, and a beet and goat cheese.  despite my crankiness in the kitchen, dinner was good.  but i didn't come here to tell you about bruschetta.  no way, jose!  i came here to tell you about peaches.  poached peaches.  in bourbon.  i am now dancing because even typing that makes my mouth water.  uh huh...  i got this recipe from the latest issue of martha stewart living.  i tweaked it a bit, but the core is from ms. martha.

2 quarts peaches
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of nutmeg
1 cup of bourbon

bring a large pot of water to boil.  cut a small X into the bottom of each peach.  boil peaches for about 2 minutes and transfer to ice water bath.  let cool.  peel and pit and cut into wedges.

bring 4 cups of water, sugars and nutmeg to boil in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.  add peaches and bourbon and simmer until peaches are tender.

spoon out peaches and transfer to to large bowl.  cook syrup over medium heat until reduced by half.  pour over peaches and let cool.

divide peaches among jars (this filled 2 one liter jars for me).  pour syrup over peaches.  refrigerate.

these are hella good.  messy to make, but worth it.  apparently i stink at peeling peaches.  i have enjoyed them thoroughly over vanilla ice cream.  i also think these would be a super cute gift to bring to the host at a dinner party.  or you could serve them for dessert at your own dinner party and then give your guests a jar to take with them.  how cute is that?  the magazine also has some cutie labels to put on your jars.  adorable!  i would have taken a picture of the peaches over ice cream, but i ate it too fast.  my bad.

Monday, July 25, 2011

our new bar

what's up, peeps?  i can't pull that off, can i?  ho hum...  well, i hope you all had a great weekend.  i did.  i wasn't hot in the least.  nope.  this weather did not make me feel like i was crawling around inside of satan at all.  wait, no it did make me like i was crawling around inside of satan.  holy mother!  it was sizzlin'.  and not in a good way.  i actually took a nap yesterday.  a nap.  and i'm not 5.  or 80.  this weather kills me.

moving on... i did have a great weekend despite mother nature trying her best to hurt me.  i cooked, i had new cocktails with friends, and i saw the alexander mcqueen exhibit at the met.  hello, gorgeous (in my best barbra streisand voice)!  it was unreal.  it felt like theatre to me in some ways.  my only complaint was that it was so crowded.  i have never seen anything like that at an exhibit.  never ever.  the line to get in was blocks long.  on a hot sunday.  bananas!  but, once i got in it was totally worth it.  if any of you in nyc can make it before it closes (august 7th), go.  you will not regret it.

and after my fun weekend was almost done josh and i decided to do some rearranging.  we've lived in this apartment for a little over a year.  it is super tiny, but we love it.  and we don't feel smushed which is bizarre.  a couple of weeks ago, josh picked up a cabinet from one of our local antique shops.  i saw it in the window and josh did his bargaining magic and now we have an awesome cabinet from 1965.  woop woop!  we use it as a 2nd bar.  (our first bar is this really cool 1920s radio cabinet.)  now, i need to restain this piece, but we're in the middle of sanding, priming, and painting our microwave cart and there is only so much room for home projects in this joint.  in the meantime, we've set it all up.  i wasn't sure what i wanted on top.  did i want some of my liquor and bar tools or did i want to keep it clean with a vase of flowers?  well, i played around last night and loved the showing of the liquor.  josh then had a brilliant idea (this is why we love him) of putting my super pretty and feminine bedside lamp on top as well.  i wasn't sure at first, but it looks awesome.  when the main lights are off but the lamp is on it looks so warm and cozy.  i want to sit on my rocking chair with a sazerac and read away.  in the winter with the fireplace going it's going to look extra rad.  what do you think?  should we give josh an ol' pat on the back for this one?

btw, i now need a new bedside lamp.

Friday, July 22, 2011

recipe: heirloom tomato pasta

this week has been hot.  huh-uht.  so hot it deserves two syllables.  which means that cooking has been pretty tough this week.  i didn't use the oven at all and i found a recipe in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living for a great pasta dish that inspired me.  i can't find the link to the actual recipe, but below is what i put together.


you will need:
3 cloves of garlic, thinly slices
olive oil
2 pints of heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh torn basil (about 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp lemon zest
red-pepper flakes
salt & pepper
8 oz. pappardelle, cooked al dente

heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a sauté pan.  add garlic and crisp, tossing occassionally, until golden.  set aside and let cool.

combine tomatoes, basil, capers, lemon zest and a pinch of red pepper flakes (more if you like extra spice) and a generous pinch of salt in large bowl.  pour garlic and garlic crisps over tomato mixture.  let sit for about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

add warm pasta to bowl and toss.  sprinkle with basil, pepper, and additional lemon zest.  


see how easy that is?  i was able to make that with limited amounts of sweat in my teeny tiny kitchen after the gym for a great weeknight meal.  and we didn't even have to eat it at 10pm.  yay!  thanks, MSL!  i'm thinking about making it the next time we have people over for a summer meal.  this dish with a glass of nice, cold, white wine?  um... word.  word.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

i'm in love...

with this cake!

super awesome, right?  i know they're kind of all of the place right now, but i am new to them and i need to make one.  i'm not sure when, but it will happen, people.  it.  will.  happen.  

anyway, it was super hot tonight so  cooking was a pain in the behind.  i did cook though.  even after urban rebounding class.  even though i was so hot i couldn't think.  i still cooked.  i'm a team player.  it wasn't anything special.  easy italian sausage sandwiches with a mozzarella and tomato salad over it.  the sausages were from our favorite butcher down the street.  i also got some sweet white corn from the farmer's market today.  aw yeah.  it was actually tasty.  and easy.  because nights like this make me want to order pizza.  or chinese food.  or mexican.  anything that doesn't involve my kitchen.  but i did it for the love of home cookin'.

[photo credit: marthastewart.com]


Monday, July 18, 2011

weekend stuff

happy monday!  so, this weekend was a bust on the met front.  we were supposed to go on sunday, but it was too darn hot.  i walked outside for about 30 minutes and turned right around.  i get extra grumpy when hot.  ask josh.

anyway, we did get some stuff accomplished.  we started painting some shutters that we have as a sort of room divider.  we bought a new cabinet to use as an extra bar from one of our local antique shops.  we took boo to the vet (poor boo!).  see?  lots done.  i'll tell you all about that stuff some other time because i also...

baked!  woop woop!  this is the nutella cookie recipe from The Yuppie Lifestyle.  again, used her exact recipe.  and now we're loving life over here in cobble hill.  sidenote: check out my cool new milk glass cake stand.  from the very same antique store we got our new bar/cabinet.  it's called Brownstone Treasures and it's right here in my lovely neighborhood.  yay!  back to the cookies - they are seriously insane.  so, so tasty.  the recipe is also extremely easy so these will now be a house staple.  it's also something simple that i can bring to people's homes.  i mean, everyone should love nutella.  if you don't you're probably a communist.  just kidding!  you're probably just a weirdo.  phew!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

what's coming next...

so, i took it easy on dinner.  i was still traumatized from peeling and deveining shrimp.  tonight it was tuna salad with onions and celery.  it was simple and tasty.  i had extra hot dog buns leftover from last night's dinner so we had another summer sandwich and salad night.  we also finished off the pickles.  boo!  i will be making more though.  i've also pickled some cukes for a friend of mine as a surprise.  i'll let you know how he likes them.

anyway, this weekend i want to make this:
nutella cookie sandwiches.  um... yes, please!  found this via the kitchn.  it's from a great blog called The Yuppie Lifestyle.  this girl is seriously cool and has so much fun stuff that i have been going thru all night.  anyway, i think i'm going to try these on sunday.  seems doable.  and i could eat nutella straight from the jar so this could spell big trouble for me.  and my thighs! tee hee hee.

i'm a dork, i know.

the other thing i'm looking forward to doing this weekend?  going to see the alexander mcqueen exhibit at the met!  woop woop!  finally.  i have been dying to go and it closes in august so josh and i are finally getting our act together.  it should be beautiful.  i'll tell you all about it.

[photo credit: L. Morello for The Yuppie Lifestyle]

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Recipe: Shrimp Salad

shrimp salad sandwich.  yummy, yummy.  summer makes me crave things like lobster and shrimp and fish tacos.  aw yeah...  tonight, i chose shrimp.  this was my first time with shrimp salad and i think it went well.  let me just say this though, the cost of peeled and deveined shrimp now seems worth it.  i did not think this prior to dinner.  but after, covered in shrimp juice and completely grossed out by deveining, i was all for it. aside from that nonsense, dinner was a success!
and yes, that is a ms. pickle on my plate!  even more delicious day 2!

for the shrimp salad: i took about 3/4 of a pound of fresh medium sized shrimp.  put them in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes (they should be pink and should float to the top.  it's a good idea to test one).  when done, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.  after cooling, peel and devein (eck!) and chop into smaller pieces (i wanted mine a bit chunky).  put them in a bowl and add the following:  1 1/2 celery stalks - chopped, 1/4 red onion - chopped, generous amount of salt and pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder.  mix and add desired amount of mayo.  

i served my salad in toasted hot dog buns with a nice piece of lettuce as a cushion on the bottom of the bun.  on the side i had a red leaf lettuce salad with steamed asparagus and shaved asiago.  oh, and a pickle!

it was a good meal.  josh had two sandwiches which spells success to me.  i think i would have been happier if i didn't have to spend all of that time peeling shrimp, but now i know.  maybe next week my fingers will smell normal again.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

ms. pickles

that's my new name.  yep.  i made my first attempt at pickling and... it.  is.  awesome.  i want to try all different kinds, but this first one tasted like your standard half-sour pickle.
yum, right?  they're your standard kirby cukes quartered lengthwise and put in a jar.  in a separate bowl take about a cup of white wine vinegar (i think you could do a little less than that.  it was a tiny bit too much) and add a teaspoon of peppercorns, a tablespoon of sugar, an exaggerated pinch of salt, a teaspoon of caraway seeds, 3 cloves of smashed garlic and a bay leaf.  add 1/4 of a thinly sliced sweet onion.  mix that all together and then add about 1/4 cup of warm water.  mix everything together and add to the jar of cukes.  let them refrigerate for at least one day.

i really do like the taste.  like i said, next time i'm going try a little less vinegar and a little more water.  i might add some different spices too.  i think they're going to taster even better tomorrow after another day of sitting.

Monday, July 11, 2011

ciao!

ciao!  hola!  why, hello there...  i'm excited.  this is my new blog.  i hope you like it.  that's my cat up there. boo radley.  she's hanging out on our bar, reading books.  she's very smart, that one.

anyway, i'm gina.  i live in the cobble hill area of brooklyn.  i love it.  no, i more than love it.  i lurve it.  for realz.  i live with ms. boo radley and joshua.  we're one big (small) happy family.  i like to cook.  i love to eat.  and i love exploring brooklyn and all it's funness.  that's totally a word.  look it up.

so, i figured while watching brainless tv i would give myself something to do and write about some of the stuff i get to do in my 'hood and some of the stuff i cook and eat.  i hope you like it.  and if you have anything good to make, bake and/or eat,  please share!  this is just a little something i did yesterday.

it's from a fantastic blog called Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body.  this gal is amazing.  seriously.  i'm now obsessed with her blog after finding it only a few days ago.  it's a coconut peach upside down cake.  go to her blog right now to look at her much, much prettier version and details on how to make it.  delicious!