so screwed this week

what a terrible week to be sick. i’ve got a million cooking projects, along with the usual job search/website/league stuff, plus birthdays to celebrate. i stayed home from work today (do i ever go to work anymore?), and i’m probably skipping pool league tonight (which means my team might actually win!). i did manage to get myself out to the bodega, though, to get ingredients for the bodega challenge on wednesday (i’m making a cheesy fiesta corn spoonbread, which should be interesting). i’m also about to make some creme fraiche for the pumpkin chocolate tart i’m making this weekend for matt’s massive dinner party/DIY restaurant. all this while i’m nursing a cocktail i just created– the sicko’s arnold palmer: 1/2 kombucha green tea + 1/2 thera-flu severe cold (daytime)…. DELICIOUS!

spanning time

my halloween costume this year (the one on the left):

nygpl, week 6

if our team wasn’t ranked last in the league, it is now. we got blown out by the chi-chiz boys tonight 11-4. i played 2 games– the first against the best player on the opposing team, which i lost with 5 balls left on the table. feeling less pressure since everyone on my team was losing, i managed to win my second game. it was a real nail-biter, with everyone watching the table intently, gasping and cheering. after the game, my team mentor was gushing about what an amazing game i played– “seriously, that game made everyone cream their pants!” outside, a guy from the other team told me, “you played well, you just need to be more positive!”  i’ll have to keep these things in mind for next week.

my record is now 3:9!

the weakest link

not a great league night. somehow i went from being the “pull-through queen” to “the wild card” to “the weakest link” in the course of one month. i played two games tonight, one singles and one doubles. i lost the singles game by one ball and i scratched on the winning shot of the doubles game. this does not make me feel good, considering my record is now 2:7 for the season. the most challenging part of being in a pool league, or pool in general, is the mental stamina. i always play a competitive game, but when it comes down to the winning shots, i choke every time. everyone on my team is so supportive and wonderful, but i can’t help but feel like i’m letting the company down. they say that i know what i’m doing, that i should just come to practice, and we’d work on some drills. the only thing is, i don’t think drills can undo 27 years worth of issues. bleh. but okay, i’m not the weakest link. nobody called me that except for me. and i’m not going to say things like that anymore. it goes against all the mantras of The Secret, right?!

la eggplant de mon reve

so tonight was the casserole cook-off at the brooklyn label, hosted by the lovely emily farris of casserole crazy fame. the competition was intense– 30 entries, including meaty, vegetarian, and non-savory casseroles. i entered a vegetarian polenta and eggplant bake, which i was rather proud of because it was something i had created specifically for the event. i wanted to do something with eggplant, because it’s one of my favorite vegetables, but i didn’t want to do anything that was too much like a lasagna. i’d always wanted to learn how to make polenta, so i thought this was my chance to figure it out. i also wanted to achieve that cheesy, bubbly, and perfectly browned top, because in my opinion, that’s what makes any casserole so delicious. in the end, my idea worked, because i won the category for best vegetarian casserole. i didn’t win best in show, but when i thanked the judges at the end of the night, they commended my originality, which really meant the most to me.

la eggplant de mon reve

for the polenta:

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
• 2 tbsp butter

for the filling:

• 2 lg eggplants
• marinara sauce (i used this really good jarred variety my friend david gets imported from ohio)
• canola oil for frying
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup romano cheese
• fontina cheese, lots of it, for the top

again, i’m too lazy to write directions, but you basically make the polenta and use that as the bottom layer of the casserole. then on top of the polenta, layer sauce, ricotta mixture, and eggplant (lightly fried). repeat, and top with fontina cheese. cover with foil and bake @ 425 for 10 min, then reduce to 375 for 30 additional minutes. remove foil and broil for 10 minutes.

beauty queen

just got back from enid’s 5th annual apple pie contest, which i FINALLY got to enter this year. there were about 20 entries, which is a lot more than i expected, and it was quite an excellent showing (i forgot how crafty greenpoint/williamsburg kids can be). i didn’t sweep all the categories as i had hoped, but i did win the category for prettiest pie, and i placed third overall. that means my pie has style AND substance (but slightly more style). it’s funny, because i had no intention of making the leaf-lined crust until the night before, and it was only the last minute that i decided to cut veins into each individual leaf. i got to take home a trophy, a medal (engraved), and a primo pie pan that i was actually eyeing up last week at the brooklyn kitchen! good times. but even being the most decorated contestant there (i think), at the end of the night it was still pretty much just me sitting in the corner sipping a glass of champagne (metaphorically) watching everything happening before me and trying to figure out how i fit into any of it.

exile in pieville

4 years ago, i was on a date and, having just moved to williamsburg a month prior, i asked him to take me somewhere fun in the neighborhood. we ended up sitting around at mccarren park and then we went to enid’s where there happened to be an apple pie bake-off going on. we tried all the pies and chatted and had a nice time, because come on– how can you have a bad time at an apple pie bake-off? i never saw him again, but every year since then, i’ve told myself that i NEED to enter this contest. last year, i called and asked for details, only to be told it had happened THE DAY BEFORE. but this year, i FINALLY got my act together and am ready to compete. i’m going for a clean sweep in all categories. it’s long overdue.

EXILE IN PIEVILLE

• 1 1/2 recipe pie crust (butter, water, salt)
• 5 lg apples (cortland, jonagold, jonathan, macoun)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice + lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

unless you’ve never baked a pie, you know what to do with these ingredients (too lazy to write directions).

new class added! cooking for ex-couples

mike and i broke up about 2 years ago. my friend recently asked me why, and i said, “you know, one day we started fighting, and we just couldn’t stop no matter how hard we tried.” it really made me sad to put it into words, aloud. i hadn’t thought about it in such a long time.  i still see mike sometimes. he lives down the street from me, and we go to the same places–our loser bars and key food. i told him that i didn’t want to stay friends after we broke up, and we’ve been pretty good about that. sometimes we’ll be in the same room or pass each other on the street and completely ignore each other. it’s not that that’s how i want it, but sometimes it’s just too hard to have it any other way. but every so often, there’s a brief moment when everything comes together and we are able to hang out as friends, and it’s nice, even though i said i didn’t want that. and it only happens when neither one of us are seeing anyone and we’re both excited about things going on in our lives. we can actually exchange ideas and not have old issues come up. of course, it never lasts. but right now, we’re in it, and it’s good. in fact, somehow we ended up signing up for a cooking class together (hide the knives!). and we’re competing against each other at the apple pie bake-off at enid’s on sunday. and he’s helping me on my website. i don’t know, man. there’s gonna be smoke coming out of the oven soon.

foodies are the new indie kids

up until this past year, the first thing i wanted to know when i met someone i was interested in was what kind of music they like. being a (retired) indie kid, i would silently judge their response, make some kind of snarky and/or pretentious comment and either proceed forward, eyes full of hope, or mentally check out of the conversation. these days i find myself asking, “do you cook?” ideally they do, but regardless, i’m trying to be less judgmental and generally less of a jerk. maybe it means i’m growing up. or maybe it means i’m just not a REAL foodie yet.

nygpl, week 3

1 game played: won.

personal season record: 2:5