Despite horrible Atlantic storms on Saturday and Sunday this was a fantastic weekend! On Friday I went for my first run to train for the Great Ireland Run 10k in April, and I went for an easy pint at TP Waters pub with Stephen. On Saturday I went to a matinee showing of Playboy of the Western World at the historic Abbey Theatre and went for Chinese at Charming Noodle with Tessa, Claire and Stephen. It was a very tasty time! Sunday I saw The Wrestler--a knockout movie--and did a bit of spring cleaning and read some more Ken Follett. All in all a good weekend!
Now, to get down to brass tacks.
The Things
1. Sites: Cooking Blogs
I can't get enough of the fantastic array of cooking blogs on the net. There is a big movement in food photography at the moment that a lot of my fav blogs are jumping on. The result is a melee of posts so good looking you could stick a fork through your monitor. Here are a few of my regular favorites and newfound obsessions:
- Zoe Bakes: Desserts for the skilled baker. Zoe has a serious eye for deliciousness.
- The Kitchn: Kitchen designs, lots of before and afters and clever how-to's. Kitchen tools and recipes too!
- Epicurious: The definitive food blog. Also has great recipes from top-name chefs.
- Cake Wrecks: When professional bakers seriously mess up...
2. Movie: The Wrestler
As I said above, I saw this movie this weekend and fell in love. It is a fantastic character study of ageing pro wrestler Randy "The Ram". His life is sad and lonely but his winsome attitude will have you rooting for this three-legged-dog of a character within the first 5 minutes. This movie is powerful; it demands little from its audience but gives much. It lacks the slightly sacchrine emotionality of Slumdog Millionaire and Benjamin Button but instead provides approchable, accessible sentiment. The movie is powerfully subtle and inextricably down-to-earth while at the same time being as fantastical as you please--a real-life superhero in his final flash of glory. You simply cannot miss this film. There should be a mandate. Go, drop your $10, and thank me when you're through!
3. Food: Minestrone
I made about 2 quarts of minestrone on Friday that after tonight will officially be gone. I've had it every day for lunch and dinner and at 80 calories a bowl, it's easy to say I cannot get enough. I've made a few modifications to make it cheaper and quicker too. This recipe makes an great tasting soup that keeps incredibly well and tastes as well after the 8th bowl as it did after the 1st. I'll be making another batch tomorrow night to last me until the weekend.
- About 1.5 cups dried mixed beans
- 1/4 pound bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped, 1 carrot, 2 celery, all chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
- 2 zucchini, scrubbed and chopped
- 1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes cut into quarters
- 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 6 stock cubes (I used 3 veggie and 3 chicken)
Directions
Soak beans in large pot of water overnight (covered by 4" of water or so). Drain beans, in a saucepan combine them with enough water to cover them by 4" or more, and simmer them, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep them barely covered, for 1 hour.
Meanwhile cook the bacon in a little olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp, add the onion, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the carrots, the celery, and the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, green beans, potatoes, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes including their juice and fill the pot with water (2 quarts or so), adding stock cubes. Simmer the soup for 1 hour.
Drain all but 1 cup or so of white beans liquid, and with emersion blender or hand masher mash beans until about 1/4 of beans are mashed, leave remaining beans whole. Stir bean/bean puree mixture into the soup. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes, and season it with salt and pepper.
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