The month of May led the foodie book club into the polished, inspiring world of Molly Wizenberg, author of A Homemade Life: stories and recipes from my kitchen table and blog Orangette.  As is often the case, I became completely enthralled with the book and now want to create every recipe in it.  Note to self: Nicki this obsession,too, shall pass.  In the meantime I have begun the cult-like following that can only develop when an author (truly) impresses the reader and pushes them to follow in some footsteps.  The footsteps chosen in only the past couple of days have been:

Slow Roasted Tomatoes 

Cream Braised Green Cabbage

I didn’t take any pictures.  Bad blogger!  But I have never felt any sort of passion for cabbage before last night.  The recipe calls for carmelizing wedges of green cabbage before adding heavy cream and slowly simmering for forty minutes.  Finished with lemon juice, the vegetable becomes tender, succulent, and downright amazing.  Cabbage, you have a new sparkle to you.  Intrigued by the vegetable, I went ahead and bought a bag of the red version to create one of her other recipes; Red Cabbage Salad with Lemon and Black Pepper. 

I’ll tell you now, the to-do list is long.  Ms Wizenberg captivates the author with each tale of family life and personal gushing.  Each recipe leaves you with a twinge of desire.  And that feeling (oh so familiar) of ‘why do I not do more cooking/baking/experimenting in my kitchen??’  Molly begins with her childhood in Oklahoma and takes the reader through some of her ups and downs through life.  As another reader pointed out, it’s not that anything remarkable happens, it’s just that she allows us to connect through her writing.  From parental quirkiness to long-distance romance, Molly does a great job of intertwining recipes with her stories.

I’m terrible about blogging regularly.  If it weren’t for my Blackberry constantly updating me with email, I would be so utterly out of touch with the internet world I’d be shunned.  It’s a secret issue.  I purposely avoid the computer.  I am fully aware that I become fascinated with this blog or that and spend a vast amount of time reading said site.  Orangette is no exception to this phenomenom.  Wizenberg makes you want to dig into life and all foods that are entangled in it.  As is the case with the inspiration for our book club, (never)homemaker.  How can you guys be so good at so many things?!?! Can we be taught!?!? 

I love that these days we have access to the clever thoughts and words of so many people.  Think of how much better it is to share your thoughts on a book than to zone out to the latest TV show!  To check out the comments other people posted on A Homemade Life, head over here.  And go to you library and check out this book!

I find Easter to be my favorite holiday. For years my family would go to brunch after an infamous egg hunt at home where my parents watched as I scoured every crevice for hidden treasure. It reminds me of family and relaxation and food and happiness. Whatever today means for you, I hope you enjoy it.

It was bizarre, I won’t lie.  But it was new.  And fun.  And completely Arizona.

We just returned from a mini vacation to Payson, Arizona.  Matt’s family has a cabin there, perfect for escaping life.  I called a bakery I had read about, asking the owner about gluten-free offerings.  Like magic, we arrived this morning to gluten free bread to go with our egg omelette.  Matt designated the cute little baker’s accent to be South African.  (He has an affinity for all things South Africa.)  I can honestly say I was humbled by the idea that someone baked especially for me!  If you’re in Payson, visit the Red Elephant Bakery.  It’s interesting and if you are of the short-term attention group like I am, there’s a room full of knick knack and antiques to peruse.

Today also included a tour of Fossil Creek Creamery.  We sell wonderful items at work from the creamery and I’ve wanted to check it out for months.  The owner, John, was the epitome of a proud business owner.  He introduced us to the goats by name, ensuring that each one is part of the family.  How can you not but love a local artisan like John, who treats his animals, and business, with respect and appreciation.

As part of my blogging drive, I started following two awesome people on (never home)maker.com.  Ashley created the Foodie Book Club as a way for strangers to connect on the same topic…how fun is that?  With three months of books picked out, I ventured into the virtual book club, assuring myself that this kind of commitment was a good thing.

First on the list, Anthony Bourdain’s The Nasty Bits.

I’ll confess to spending night after night watching DVD episodes of Bourdain’s “No Reservations.”  Matt and I used to watch at least one episode per night, falling asleep to the sounds of bizarre food descriptions and crude comments from Bourdain himself.  Though sometimes annoying in his entitlement, Bourdain is able to entice viewers easily on the show.

The book is a collection of stories, thoughts, and articles, most of them based on earlier filming for the show.  The best part about it is the ease in which Bourdain makes the reader long to step outside of their comfort zone.  To walk away from set meal times and usual restaurants.  To stray from staying in for dinner and from planning the next vacation to the same cute little town you go to every summer.  Nasty Bits makes you want to GET OUT THERE.  Appreciate other food, people, culture, and scenery.

I can’t say the book inspired a certain inspiration for a recipe, of led me to periods of deep thought.  It did, however, make me realize that travel is a gift.  Out of town, out-of-state, out of the country.  If you can do it, then go forward, friend!

It’s coming.

Summer.  Not just one of the four seasons.  The Arizona Summer.  For those who have experienced the phenomenon, it’s comparable to the New England winter.  It seems to last forever.  It’s the topic of conversation among strangers.  It leads you to linger in stores, cars, and movie theaters longer than necessary.  It’s inevitable.  Arizona summer.

I seem to have slipped through the cracks and missed the Arizona heat for the last four years or so.  In actuality, I haven’t witnessed a complete AZ summer for years.  It’s easy to forget the longevity of the heat.  It’s also easy to forget the positive side of this desert occurence.

I met with a best friend of mine today out west of Phoenix in Glendale.  Both Chelsea and I have moved away and experienced cold places for a number of years.  We were commenting today on how easily we take for granted our sunshine and heat here.  Today: sunny, highs in the eighties.  This is why we Arizonans suffer the scalding steering wheels and sticky car seats.  We get to enjoy a couple months of weather bliss.

And the heat brings good things…

Like ice cream.

Filed under: Excursions, Life Tagged: Arizona, Phoenix ]]> http://glutenfreegypsy.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/you-can-see-it/feed/ 0 33.448377 -112.074037 33.448377 -112.074037 GlutenFreeGypsy IMG_0204 IMG_0201 http://glutenfreegypsy.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/around-town/ http://glutenfreegypsy.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/around-town/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:03:43 +0000 GlutenFreeGypsy http://glutenfreegypsy.wordpress.com/?p=336 ]]>

Since moving to Phoenix, my friend Jess has blessed me with the knowledge of great restaurants, bars, and stores in the valley.  She’s lucky to live close to this hip little marketplace on the corner of 16th and Bethany Home Rd. called Luci’s Marketplace.  I finally made the trip up there to try some of their gluten-free offerings.  I’ve spoken with Luci about their connection with Gluten Free Creations Bakery before and GFCB never disappoints.  I had the egg and cheese sandwich on an everything bagel.  Sure you can buy the bagels in the store, take them home, defrost and toast them.  But it’s just so much better when someone else does all this for you!  Luci’s offers gluten-free options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m dying to have a few of these sandwiches:

The Naughty Nurse Roasted red pepper, artichoke, avocado & mozzarella topped with pesto, hummus, and a balsamic glaze.

Say Cheese Gruyère cheese & tomato.  Served with a creamy tomato dip.

Yes. Please.

In the spirit of staying on my toes with the gluten-free happenings in AZ, I’ve recently been spending a lot of blog time on a fellow GF-er who’s right here in Phoenix as well.  Gluten Free Frenzy is a great source for all things gluten-free here, and she loves giveaways!  Who doesn’t!? Her latest is for a company called Namaste, which offers allergen free mixes.  I can always use a pizza mix!

I just had the best pancakes ever.  One of those blow-you-away-why-isn’t-anyone-here-to-share-this-with-me meals.  I have to admit there were no photos taken.  The above shot is from The Hungry Runner.  Fitting because the pancakes this morning were the healthy post-workout type.

I’ve mentioned before my obsessive ways that often prevent me from starting to bake or cook something.  I generally scrutinize and reread directions over and over.  I am proud to say that I am a pancake direction reader no more.  The first time I considered this path was a couple of months ago.  I was visiting my friend Lisa in Tucson, and she was crafting gluten-free pancakes for us to enjoy.  Trader Joe’s makes a wonderful GF mix, free of nuts, dairy, corn and soy.  And it’s actually made with brown rice flour, unlike many GF mixes on the market which have white rice flour, cornstarch, and all other things refined.  She went about making brunch without measurements, or instructions!  To think, something done off the cuff…lovely.

So today, vegan gluten-free pancakes.

3/4 c (ish) GF Trader Joe’s pancake mix

1 Tbl  (or so) ground flax

3 chopped pitted dates stirred in

That’s it!  No milk, no oil.  Add water to the mix, and stir to dissolve lumps.  The mix was quite runny at this point so I left it to sit for about a half hour and proceeded to piddle about the apartment. Meanwhile, I had a small sauté pan heating on low.  Then it was pancake business as usual. Lightly oil the skillet and cook until lightly brown on each side. I topped these babies with cinnamon apples from work.

No direction for the day off.  That’s progression.

Doing

Being

Much of the time, I am a person full of ideas, notions, and intentions.  The problem I often run across is while I think think think about all these things I want to do, I just never get around to moving forward.  Part of this issue comes from my immense inability to make a decision.  If I were in an interview where they ask you profound questions such as “What do others say about you?” or “What’s your biggest strength?”  I would beseechingly shout out that I am a failure when it comes to decisions.  Of course, you can never really say truthful things during these interviews…you’d never get any jobs!

Strangely, this fear of beginning something is daunting in the world of cooking and baking.  I am always concerned with messing something up.  Funny part: I went to culinary school!  Did the infamous Le Cordon Bleu thing and still have an asinine fear of wrecking the outcome of kitchen experiments.  I’m working on it, I swear…

But moving forward, today I finally made my own Larabar.  Inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie months ago, I finally took the plunge.  The result:  success!

These little guys were so simple, and perfect when you need a snack.  I try to avoid refined sugar and processed goods, so I’ve leaned heavily on the expensive Larabar for months.  No more!  I am my own bar maker!  You can use any combination of nuts, and any adds-ins, but typically the bars are only a few raw ingredients.

Cinnamon Roll Larabars

1/4 c raw almonds

1/2 cup packed dates (I had deglet noor dates)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

dash of ground flaxseed

Put all ingredients into food processor, and whiz until blended and sticky.  I rolled a few balls, and the rest I put into a plastic baggie to replicate the bars.  Easy and wonderful!

The winner (in the valley).  Yummy toppings, delectable crust.  Giant skillet cookies….

Finish long work week.  Head to Jess and Jim’s for BBQ.  Drink lots of vodka tonic.  Eat great food, enjoy funny conversation.

Go to Tucson.  Have dinner with Lisa.  Meet Dad and Laura for drinks and local dive Irish Pub.  Drink too much with dad over deep conversation.

Go hiking the next morning and enjoy the company and the exercise.

Persuade Lisa to drive to Phoenix.  Round up Jess and head to Goodyear and two-year bday celebration.  Shamelessly indulge in Eegee’s.  (Tucson thing.)  Shop at huge classy TJ Maxx, hike on Mars, then begin drinking by four…seeing the trend…

Round up the boys for The Vig.  Wake up, head to La Grande Orange.  Search for Lisa’s fave Lululemon clothes at Scottsdale Fashion Square and then the Biltmore.  Feel cheesy for having to tour the malls.  Delight in the splendor of sharing time with friends