Real, Good, Slow Food

We went to dinner with a friend from Charleston tonight.  Rob and he worked together in South Carolina and are still with the same company, but he's in Pittsburgh now and we're here in Idaho.  This gentleman came out for work--he's Management now--to see "The Site," as it's locally known, and learn what goes on out here, as some of the Idahoans do when they go inspect East occasionally.  Anyway, we've been planning on dinner out with him for some time now, and weren't sure where to take him.  We noticed a new restaurant several weeks ago, and wondered how it was.  It looked great, but unique and interesting restaurants don't really happen in this town.  There's the clever and refreshing Snake Bite Restaurant and the fancy, date-night Cellar, but that's it for interesting here.  Tonight we decided to try this new place with the modern sign and hip web page (and two terrific Yelp reviews!).

We came from Charleston, a town with more James Beard Award winners per capita than anywhere ever (that might be not quite right, but it cannot be far off the mark), and I miss good food so much.  I have a thing for food that was thought about, really and truly cooked with love, with ingredients that are appreciated and enjoyed, and served by happy, attentive and vouching waitstaff.  I am not a snob, or a foodie, or an afficianado of any sort--i can't even spell afficianado--but i LOVE food that is good.  I especially like food that is good that was raised and grown here.  I like a glass of wine, a conversation, laughs, some stunning food, flavor I can't stop thinking about, and someone who genuinely wants to know if we're enjoying the meal.  I like when my food makes me think, this is it.  this is where i want to be, doing this.  This was my dinner tonight.

Who knew this town had Tapas?!  It does.  Fried goat cheese with cracked-pepper honey.  Chorizo-stuffed jalapeno poppers.  Sea salt fingerling potatoes (local, of course, and purple!), bacon wrapped dates, crab cakes.  Oh my.

Good conversation, laughter, and catching up ensue.  We have a third good restaurant.  One I won't see in another town, on any other day.  It is going to be something that makes us who we are, a town with a personality and a fight for what's good and what's important.  Somewhere we can visit, enjoy and contribute to what's local and good.  We'll be back!

Much A'do About Rhubarb

SO much to do!  Good morning!  This weekend I took my scissors to the rhubarb plant again.  This is the third round of fruit I've gotten from my wonderful and generous little plant.  It's not so little anymore, and I didn't know how big it would get when I bought it on sale at Wal*Mart last summer.  It's made me a believer!  








Wowzuh, it's been so good to us.  It's just July and I've gotten a big old batch of rhubarb ginger jam, some to freeze, and now these yummy rhubarb muffins.  I had to Instagram and Facebook that picture, and got several suggestions in response to my "what do I do with this batch?!" quandary.  I'd not ever thought of muffins with this tarty loveliness, so I researched some recipes.  (Dear Pinterest, I love you so!)   

Here's what I found.  It's a terrific and easy recipe from a terrific and cleverly named blog called Arctic Garden Studio.  I realize Idaho Falls is no Fairbanks, but it is nice to have a resource and an ally in the world of Nothing Grows Before June!  I also enjoy that she uses yogurt--it makes these muffins so moist and spongy.  Terrific!  I used Hermes Greek Gods, and NOT the non-fat version.  I'll not have it!  Please note that I used mini muffin tins for two dozen treats, and also got a 1/2 dozen large muffins out of this recipe.  Here you have it!

Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins, from Arctic Garden Studio (who adapted it from Fine Cooking)

Muffins:

2 cups AP flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use raw cane sugar)

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup whole milk yogurt (I use Hermes 

Greek God regular--not non-fat--yogurt)

8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb

Topping:

3 T granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degreesF, and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil baking cups.  I used Pam instead of cups for the little ones--you need to grease or line!  

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients and whisk to blend.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the next four ingredients until smooth.  Next, with a spatula, lightly stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until the batter just comes together.  Be careful not to overmix.  Gently stir in the diced rhubarb.  The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or spatula to settle the batter into the cups, or slam the pan on the counter to settle just as nicely (her suggestion, and it works well!).  The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups. 

In a small bowl, combine the sugar & cinnamon and mix well.  Sprinkle a 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture atop the large muffins (about a 1/4 tsp. on the minis).

Bake until the muffins are golden brown, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes.*  Transfer the tins to a rack to cool, then carefully lift out the muffins.   Enjoy (several at a time)!

*I baked these--both the minis and the large ones, baked separately--for 15 minutes.  We also live at an elevation of 4,700 feet, and I can never get baking times right.  I decided to check them at 15 minutes and they were perfect.  

TADA!

Uh, don't tell anyone, but I've already eaten three...  Thanks to my friend, colleague, and fellow East Coaster & Nationals fan, Ken, for making the winning suggestion.  I shall share with him tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, I discovered rhubarb is one of those words that starts to sound funny if you say it enough. 

Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb,

KT

Kitten Fishin'

Two Christmases ago my Mister got a fly rod and we've been itching to use it.  Or learn to use it, as it were.   Last summer flew by, and the fall and spring came and went; it's finally time again.  Idaho is prime trout fishing territory--80% of the trout consumed in the United States is produced in Idaho.  How do you like that?  I learned that on Good Eats about two weeks after we moved here.  We have got to get on the river!  Anyway, the weather finally warmed up, then there was a load of overtime at work, then a stellar vacation back to Charleston, and we found ourselves with a weekend at home.  Yesterday morning, after sleeping in till 9:00 (what?!) and playing with kitties in our newly fenced-in backyard, we went to the library for fly fishing how-to and to the fly shop for fishing line.  When we got home Rob got to work on spooling the reel, but not before untangling the line from the package it came it.  I should mention here that Blackbeard, one of our silly cats, is obsessed with string.  Once when he was exploring the garage (it's our outdoor cat compromise)  he came back in the house with a bungee cord and it's been one of his favorites since.  He's insane for shoelaces, and once nearly destroyed the laces on a pair of rental cross country ski boots.  And he drags them all into his food bowl every day, a strange habit that I don't understand, but I love.  But I digress...  So Blackbeard was chasing the sting all over the place, as it was stretched from the den and across the hallway, back and forth, as Rob was trying to spool it and unknot it, etc., etc.  Too cute.  

Finally it all got sorted out and reeled up, then we went out back ("Now that we have a fence I'm going to practice casting so nobody can see me," he says) and tried to cast.  Here is what ensued.  

helium balloon?  flying a kite?
nope, fishing for kittens.

You need to zoom in.  Do you see his mouth?!  And those talons?!  My favorite part is his shadow, tail straight out.  It's too much!  

Hopefully we'll get a big old cutthroat or steelhead on the end of it, but for now this is fun.  

Tight lines,

KT

It's Plantin' Time!

Good Friday morning!  It's a bit chilly here, and so windy, so I'm inside writing this instead of outside visiting my garden.  Oh well--I need the time inside I think.  I've nearly abandoned the inside of the house over the last couple days.  If I can get the kitchen cleaned and the bed made, we're golden.  

Anyway, we learned the hard way last year that April is too early to plant.  *gasp*  That was so foreign to me--I'd been eating fresh garden tomatoes by then for years!  About two weeks too late someone told us, "Yep, Memorial Day or when the snow melts on Taylor Mountain, whichever happens last."  What?!  For the record all the snow finally disappeared from said mountain in June.  We hiked & camped in the snow over Memorial Day Weekend, an absolute first for me.  So weird! 

With that knowledge this year we waited, and I am glad.  We did put the veggies in at the beginning of May or so, but made sure we bought frost-hardy, Idaho-friendly plants.  School ended the Friday after Memorial Day, so you know what I spent Monday & Tuesday doing!  I raided the local nursery and got busy in the backyard.  

Dahlias are one of my favorite flowers, and I'm glad these are coming up so well.  My zinnias--an absolute favorite--are trying, but I think something's eating them.  I'm working on those guys.  In the meantime, here's my first bloom from the dahlias.  They're so sunny and nice, and I enjoy seeing what color they'll turn out to be.  I've got a red one working on opening, and it will be fun to see what other colors we'll get.  Last year we planted a dinner plate dahlia--those were awesome!   

In other corners of the flowerbed and patio pots, I'm happy to report we're getting our first peony.  I planted a bulb last year and got the plant but no flowers, and this year it came back with one bud (yay for successful perennials!).  That bud is finally starting to open, and I hope it finishes by Tuesday.  That was one of our wedding flowers (that's why I bought it to begin with), and Tuesday is our second anniversary.  How cool would it be to get a bouquet flower on the day we celebrate our wedding?!

Well, that's it from here for now.  Have a perfect Friday, and I hope the weather wherever you are is good, safe, and makes you happy. 

With dirty fingernails,

kt

Summer!

ahhhh, those warm days.  perfect days, like today.  love 'em.  got to wear a skirt, with flip flops, and opened the sunroof!  woot--i cannot get enough.  I went to Mass, chatted with the gals at school for a bit, went to Pilates, and ran some errands.  There is nothing like doing things that have needed to get done, and all in the same morning.  So nice!  Library books are returned, birthday cards and potting soil have been purchased, oil is changed, and I got to try on fun dresses.  All to a fabulous soundtrack courtesy of the Pat McGee station on Pandora.  

afterwards, I hung out with a gal from work, visiting and chatting student-free while we packed up her classroom (we're getting our rooms painted over the summer).  then we met her daughter & husband for a pint at Idaho Brewing Company before walking over to the art museum to begin the Thursday artwalk.  

it was a fun, productive, and relaxing day.  i had to write it down.  thanks for reading.  

to many more,

kt

Squash

Bom dia! Good morning! We're back in the States, and I miss Brasil already. I miss the strong coffee, the friends we made, the temperature, and the sound of the Atlantic Ocean. I also miss our wacky attempts at Portuguese. The mister and I agreed to keep trying it at home; so far it's hi and thank you that have survived. I'm still trying to Facebook in Portuguese on wedding picture comments...

Anyway, we came home to three HUGE (that's GRANDE) zucchini.

zucchini cupcake yumminess

 Cupcakes it is, with caramel frosting. I will post the recipe soon, but here are a few pictures. The finished, frosted product will be pictured shortly, but I've got another batch to get going. Chat you soon!











tchau,

kt

             

muito bem

tonight we had dinner in Brazil. we shared our evening and conversation in English, Portuguese, and Spanish (spoken by a Polish girl and two Armenians) and somehow we all made it. My little brother is getting married on Saturday; my soon-to-be sister-in-law is the sweetest, most beautiful girl, and is from Santos, in São Paulo, Brazil. We arrived yesterday and have been amazed.

One thing that's been so terrific is that we are in a part of the country that the rest of the traveling world hasn't quite caught onto yet. There isn't loads to do and see in the tourist sense, and that's been the best part. it's been fun to see and do as the brazilians do, not as visitors do. It has always amazed me what tourists demand and "need" for their vacations to be just right. so much for VACATing your everyday... I like a neat, unique, and/or historical spot--don't get me wrong--but I also like to see a place as it is seen by the people who know real life there.

anyway, we went to the bar on the corner last night, about a hundred feet from our hotel, and had a caipirinha and chicken and watched the Santos Futbol Club defeat Chile on television with about seven other patrons. It was cool.

This morning we got up and, upon arriving in the lobby for a coffee, met my brother and two groomsmen--fresh from a week in Rio--and mom and stepdad on their way on from the airport. We dragged them to the beach for a look and then to a pizza place where we had pizza calabresa (sausage) and pizza quiejo (cheese). There were Brahma cervejas for the fellas and mom and I had Guarana, a soda from the famous Amazon berry. Then we had terrific doces (desserts) from the canfeteria joinville and left them to nap while rob and I walked along the beach and checked out the mall. Then we got ready and met everyone for dinner.

We had caipirinhas and amazing beef dinners, and the conversation was fantastic. It was so amazing to chat with people I'd never met, and most of whom didn't speak the same language. I mean, it's about a one to one ratio of English to Portuguese at this table. Somehow, though, it all works out. There is enough friendship and family to figure it all out, and at some point laughter and smiles bring it all together anyway. Rosetta Stone helps, but in the end if you just try what you know and learn from the people around you it works.

I am so excited to have a sister-in-law, and to see my brother so happy. This is going to be a beautiful week (and then some).

boa noite,

kt