Emma (cont)

I'm still slogging through Emma. I have figured out another problem I have with her as a character. She's never been anywhere. It's implied that she's been to Bath - maybe implied is too strong, for Mr. Woodhouse went to Bath with receiving any real benefit. Imagine that - either the water does not help (astonish me) or Mr. Woodhouse would still be the needy whiney old guy that his is even if taking the waters did help. Either way, she's not see much of the world outside of Highbury and Hartsfield, so her whole life is based on the fact that there has never been anyone of more consequence than her. Miss Taylor has done nothing to curb this and that's explainable again with the fact that she's a paid governess until Mr. Weston marries her.

I'm just never really going to like her... the story is good, not one of Miss Austen's best, I'll grant you, but give me Anne Elliot any day - hell, even Catherine Morland.

Thank goodness for Georgette Heyer.

Breaking the (only) garden rule

I broke the first and perhaps only rule of gardening - I didn't bother going out into the front garden for weeks. You see, when you go out into the garden, daily is best, you see little things that you can deal with or make note of that needs to be dealt with on the weekend. You can pull a few weeds or tie something up or maybe water a plant that looks a little blah. Well, in not doing that for much of the summer, I have created a huge mess to clean up. The weeds that need to be pulled are incalculable, the confederate rose needs to be trimmed and the leaves from it raked up because they are smothering some of the plants below. Seeds need to be collected or at least distributed for next spring. Hell, I even managed to let a knock-out rose die -- how the heck did that happen?


The back garden fared a little better. Largely because parking there means I have to come in contact with the garden there more often, though most of the time, in a rush. I let the zinnias take over the vegetables and then didn't bother to dead head the zinnias so I'm expected zinnias in the veg garden again next year - my justification that they attract pollinators doesn't really work if you let them tower over the okra so the okra doesn't get enough sunlight to produce.


So in going to the house via the front I have realized the error in my ways... must. work. in. garden. Or risk feeling like a sham as a master gardener.

Bobby Flay

How was it that I really (really!) didn't like Bobby Flay until Throwdown? We started watching Throwdown to see Flay get his ass kicked. Then we realized that he wasn't the big jerk yankee that we thought. How did we miss it that he seems (for a "famous" chef) pretty normal? Now we've gone back and looked at other shows (Boys meets Grill) and we really like most of them. We even watched his chefography.
What's behind our change of thought
#1 - Perhaps he got a new PR person who told him to be nice
#2 - Perhaps he got better on TV - more comfortable and therefore coming off as less of a yankee.

I think it just might be #2.

Pizza

While contrary to my friends, I don't consider myself a food snob. I am however a pizza snob. If it's not made from scratch - dough and sauce and cooked in a wood-burning oven then it's just not for me. Pizza needs only simple things - exceptional sauce  - tomatoes oil bail and a good melting cheese. My current favorite is fontina and maybe another ingredient or two - something different. Sun-dried tomatoes is a favorite, but roasted garlic is great, crimini mushrooms, prosciutto, spinach, bleu cheese. I'm not in the egg crowd though. The dough must be thin and crisp - sorry Chicago, but that thing you make has nothing to do with pizza - call it something else.
MotH's favorite pizza is any pizza. So that's how I get out of making dinner ...


Tuscan Oven
4801 North Ninth Avenue 32503
thetuscanoven.com
484.6836

Blueberry Syrup

2 pints of blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes until it resembles syrup.
Store in clean, sanitized mason jar.


Definition of boredom (this meeting I'm sitting in)
              the state of being bored; tedium; ennui
              syn. dullness, doldrums, weariness


Ennui - love that word...

Culinary Backwater

It is irritating to me that because I live in a relatively small town that there are so many culinary things we miss out on. Sure we have a couple of decent farmers' markets that do stock a good bit of local produce, which I think is a good thing, but nothing like those of New York, which I have only seen on television and in magazines - I mean Union Square market is almost enough to make me want to go to NYC, and London which I have been to and love love love. Not to mention Logan Square in Chicago - I'm envious.


If I could have an ideal food-city, this is what I would like
An exciting diverse farmers' market that features local fruits and veg - not art and books or at least if it does - 75% fresh local fruit, veg, and herbs and 25% detritus. Local dairy with fresh milk, ice cream and butter - I won't say cheese because we have a GREAT local innovative farm just across the border - did I say GREAT? Sweet Home Farm is amazing but fresh butter, milk, cream, and ice cream would really be super. Oh, and how about local flowers for those not so inclined to grow their own.
We have some fine interesting restaurants but what would be cool is if you knew they were using local produce. Come on Global Grille - give it a try. Now I should put in this many many local restaurants use local seafood - duh - no brainer, but how about some support for small farms in the area. No one even reviews restaurants for our local newspaper - that's a travesty.


Markets I like
Nature's Produce - new and well stocked and nice staff - go their often (excepting when decidedly lacking a kitchen)
By-Pass Market - in Milton - v.g. and worth the drive, esp since it takes me right past Steven's Market Deli (best potato salad in the world)

More thoughts to manage

Okay, I've been thinking of using the recipe diary (still need a less gay name) to help me sort out what is happening in my kitchen brain while I can't be in the kitchen. Perhaps it will help me get started again, but also help me sort out what to make each weekend so we can have good things to eat while living in a space that seems so. very. small.
So this weekend I made tortellini, mac n cheese (don't even ask the question, because I won't dignify it with an answer), sloppy joes, lasagna, and just to have on hand, hummus and mushroom onion pate* plus grilling out - hopefully it will be a tolerable week.


We had the skillet lasagna last night -- another good call from America's Test Kitchen -- so good and easy I may never bake lasagna again - who knew? 


Missed the greek fest - damn it, but will try for greek food later this week. 


*resisting urge to say yummy.

Emma

I'm rereading Emma for the millionth time and I still don't like her. I think it's the idea that so many people defer to her but there is no reason that should be excepting that she's rich - and maybe that's Miss Austen's point - money rules everything. It's so very apparent the importance of money in other books - first and foremost Sense and Sensibility sinking from grandeur to virtual poverty (although they could still keep a couple of servants) as the Dashwood sisters do. It's very apparent in Mansfield Park as illustrated by the squalor that Fanny Price comes from and temporarily returns to with the thought of teaching her a lesson. Northanger Abbey, while not strictly about money, is impacted greatly by a misunderstanding about the worth (interesting choice of word) of Catherine Morland. And you could go on...
But back to that deference to Emma - I find it annoying. That said, Emma does say things or at least think things that others of Austen's characters might not admit to - especially as it concernes Mrs. Elton. A more odious creature, I cannot imagine, but Emma and I think the same thing. When Emma thinks that the best that can be said of her is that she is "very pleasant and very elegantly dressed." I couldn't help but think of how that would come out where I live. "Why, she's so sweet" - the southern insult to end all insults.


By the end of the book I will like Emma - she will have learned that she doesn't know everything yet and will have come final to realize who she really is, but until then I'll continue to dislike her. Miss Austen is again correct, she created a character only she could like.

Grill, Grill, Grill, and Grill

Grill, Grill, Grill, and Grill (spoken as if in the Python Spam sketch).
We've grilled for nights and nights lately. I guess the charcoal grill is making a difference - it's really nice and not much more trouble than the gas grill. It's a Weber gold - very nice. Still need to come up with new things to try - don't want to get bored and will really need some new ideas.
I like the idea of MotH making dinner and it seems to be enough fun (ie. beer drinking opportunity) that he doesn't realize he's doing all the work - and there's no clean up.
Recap of Recent Grilling Evenings:
Burgers - cheated and didn't make James Beard's famous burgers - which are easy, but slightly messy. Used pre-shaped (more $) chuck patties from Winn Dixie - they aren't called the beef people for nothing -  very good.
Pizza - what a cool experiment and it gave the crust a good flavor. Bought dough from Publix and after rolling out, grilled for a few minutes (4 or so) on one side and then flipped and added toppings and covered - the crust was crunchy, the cheese melted well. Pretty easy, but I'm glad we had a pizza peal or it would have been very difficult. Toppings = fresh mozarella, prosciutto, simple tomato sauce, mushrooms and scallions - very good.
Steak - my favorite is ribeye, but I'll eat anykind as long as it's on the rare side -- with Bernaise it's out of this world, also good with bleu cheese sauce or just bleu cheese
Sausages - not my favorite thing on the grill, but easy to make lots for leftovers. Makes MotH happy.

Garden of Note...

There is a garden at Alcatraz . Who knew?
I had no idea there was a garden on the site of one of the most infamous prisons in the United States.MotH has been there, but be he never noticed a garden - not surprising. They catch the rain to water the plants and inmates started some of the gardens. Figures Paul James would be the one to talk about it - certainly not Gardener's Diary.
Wonder how much work they did to get it to look so nice before the TV crew showed up - weeds don't seem to exist there - interesting.